The Missing File
by SharkGirl26
Summary: After Kyouya is paired up with another student in his class he is finally given a chance to discover more about her. Sugita Emi is the only person in the entire school he does not have a file on and he is willing to do anything to get it. But as time goes on the more he discovers the more confused he gets. Rated M for cursing and dark themes in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! Just some info before you get started:

~text~ means thoughts

My story switches perspectives that allows you to only see thoughts within that persons perspective. I maintain third person writing throughout to allow a general description of the story yet still provide insight into thoughts as they go.

I post twice a week; once during the week and once on the weekend. I make chapters weeks in advance before posting them so if you want to add something feel free to message me and I'll try to incorporate it! Reviews are welcome and I love talking with you.

Thank you and happy reading.

* * *

Kyouya stared out the window, allowing himself to relax while simultaneously taking notes on the teachers lecture. He let out a content sigh as he watched the wind blow through the trees, enjoying the peace it brought.

That peace was brought to a screeching halt when a certain blonde turned around in his chair and grabbed onto his shoulders, "Mommy! Mommy! Professor says we can work in partners! We will of course need rockets and..." Kyouya quickly tuned him out as Tamaki continued to shake and shout at him in excitement. Already Kyouya was calculating the number of nights he wouldn't be sleeping in order to meet the demands of his friend and retain the title of Shadow King.

The teacher cleared his throat when he realized the class was no longer with him. "Settle down," he boomed and the whispering, or in Tamaki's case, shouting, ceased. "If I may finish then you can begin planning your assignment. This project will be twenty-percent of your grade this trimester so I expect you to take it seriously." The class groaned "It is due in one month and your partners are ~assigned~. There will be no changing partners, this is supposed to demonstrate the ability to work with anyone no matter the background. You will need this characteristic to survive in the real world." he continued, clicking to another slide on his powerpoint full of names.

"Find and your new co-worker and begin planning, an outline is due next class."

Muttering broke out once again within the class as friends separated to find their companion on the project.

"Mommyyy," Tamaki whined, tears starting to fill his eyes as he dramatically let go of Kyouya. He continued the façade for a few more seconds while the girls in the class struggled to remain composed then reverted back to his normal spontaneous self and bounded over to his partner. Kyouya internally smirked when he saw Tamaki introduce himself to his partner, the second son of world renown jeweler. That power team was sure to make an incredibly lavish project.

Kyouya darted his eyes up to the board and located his name next to one that quickened his heart rate. Sugita Emi. The mystery, the anomaly, the only person he did not have a complete file on. He turned his head to the back of the room where she sat focused on something in her hand. The petite girl had her gold hair spilling over her shoulder, the sunlight causing it to shine. Her emerald eyes peered down intensely at whatever she was looking at, her pointy, blemish-free face narrowed in concentration. She was impossible to track, untraceable despite all of his resources, and released the air of complete innocence. Nothing was off about her. The small amount of information he had scrounged up from Ouran students was negligible and held no insight. She had no group of friends she spent time with, instead preferring to enjoy lunch and off periods in the library. She was known to be incredibly caring and polite by all that happen to meet her. She was third in the class behind Tamaki but this year it was possible she would surpass him in grades if she continued to improve her scores. No one knew her relatives and no one seemed to care due to her genuinely sweet personality. Kyouya believed she used an alias due to her parents being in with an illegal network but even a mole within the Japanese gang community could find nothing.

A young girl with fair blonde hair and bright green eyes shouldn't be difficult to find but she could melt into the shadows better than the Shadow King himself. She intrigued him to say the least, he did not want to be bested. ~By the end of this assignment I will finally have a complete set of files~ Kyouya thought to himself as he stood and gracefully walked over to the girl.

o0o

Emi saw the name and silently sighed. It had to be him. She had been dealing with his snooping for three years and was sure he would take this opportunity to continue prying at her life. She lowered her eyes and continued to draw out her idea of a presentation. The project was broken up into two parts, a report and a class presentation. If all went well she could send off this Ootori with a subject and a purpose and not have to speak with him until the day of presentation.

"Hello, Princess," a silky voice said in front of her desk. She lifted her face to inspect the bespectacled teen in front of her and raised an eyebrow. ~Princess?~

The boy, Kyouya, reached forward, intent on grabbing her chin, "What wonderful things are you drawing for me?"

~Oh hell no.~ Emi grabbed his hand firmly before it touched her face and stood, quickly releasing it, allowing space to form between them.

"Do not call me Princess again. On second thought, just drop the whole host thing all together, please. If I have to work with a poor excuse of a seducer I would rather do this project alone." She said smoothly but without bitterness.

The Ootori brother looked slightly surprised then recomposed himself and offered a slight bow, more like a slight tilt of the head really.

"Forgive me Sugita-san, I did not mean to offend." He said briskly in his normal voice.

"It's quite alright, now let's move onto more important matters. I'm sure you will want to finish this project as quickly and efficiently as possible so-"

"I completely agree." Kyouya cut in, "Why don't we meet in the library during lunch then?"

Emi sighed internally, it had already begun. "I prefer to use that time to study for my other classes. Could we not split the work now and bring the research together before the due date?"

Kyouya pretended to think about her proposal for a second. "Wouldn't it be easier to talk directly instead of over email? Which I will need from you by the way."

Emi forced herself not to roll her eyes, he was sneakier than a snake. "Of course, give me your paper and I will write it down for you!" she chirped , plastering a cheerful smile on her face. While she wrote her business email address down she felt his eyes burning into her back. ~This is going to be much harder than I hoped.~

o0o

Emi sat on the floor next to a window in the Ouran Academy's majestic library. The musty books offered her a sense of content and safety. The quiet allowed her to meditate or indulge herself completely into a book. It was her escape from the eyes of many students around her and prevented unnecessary conversation. Usually she would disappear far into the recesses of the library that not even the librarian dared venture. Amongst the stacks and dust she could fully unwind without the stress of discovery. She had even found a spot for her personal enjoyment. Two years prior she remembered how she reacted entering the first day of school. Emotions had cut in at every angle while she was overcome with the amount of people and their questions. Behind the mask of excitement and enjoyment she quivered in terror. By some miracle she survived until lunch and all but flew to the library.

Upon entering she immediately lost control of her tear ducts and streams of salt water silently poured down her face. She walked into the darkest aisle only to discover that it didn't stop. Instead it twisted in all manner of ways until she turned a corner and faced a window that looked like a gift from God. It was dusty and had lost its shine years prior to age. Surrounding it were towers of abandoned books encrusted in cobwebs that had also been vacated. Emi had sat at that window and sobbed with vigor, knowing she was safe from the outside world. Nothing in Ouran was dirty so the sight of something so poorly kept gave her hope and sanctuary. Every day since then she used her hidden world to portray herself in anyway she desired. Some days she danced and sang, other times she would draw. Every now and then she would use it to release emotions that boiled up inside her.

Emi looked up at the window she was currently sitting under in frustration. This window gleamed like a freshly made caramel apple. Kyouya would be coming to look for her today and with his determination he might actually find her hidden spot so she was forced to sit by one in the main area. She sighed heavily before returning her gaze to the sketch of a poster for the presentation. It would all be handcrafted and paired with a power point to really hit home with their subject. She was positive it would be efficient but she worried Kyouya might veto the poster in attempt to talk more. How she loathed how slimy he was but she only had to put up with it for a month. That couldn't be too long, right?

"Good afternoon, Sugita-san " Kyouya said from behind Emi, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Afternoon, ready to compare?" She replied sweetly.

"Of course, may we find a more suitable location?" He asked,

~Pompous jerk can't imagine sitting on the ground.~ Emi thought angrily as she followed Kyouya to a set of chairs a few feet away.

"I have an outline of the poster board and power point ready for turn in. The board will be ready by Monday next week and I can put on the research information you gather after that." Emi articulated, handing Kyouya the sketch. He traced the design with his finger before looking up with the slightest glint of awe in his eye.

"You drew this?"

"Yes."

"Do you plan on building it yourself?"

"Yes."

"How do you know how to make this?"

"I'm really not into the commoner game Twenty-Questions, just give me your outline." She said simply and slid the notebook out from under his arm. His plan was, of course, perfectly laid out and flawlessly.

"If you can give me your research by Monday then I can have everything ready by Friday." Emi said happily. ~Which means I only have to see you for six more days.~ She added internally.

Kyouya nodded and reached into his bag. From it he withdrew a book and reclined into a comfortable position where he started to read. Emi stared at him for a few seconds. ~He's not leaving. Why isn't he leaving.~

"Er- um, Ootori-san?" Kyouya flicked his eyes above the edge of his book as an indication that he was listening. "Can I help you with something?" she questioned,

"Well you have to study right? I am going to read, tell me if you need help with anything." He replied coolly, returning his attention to the book in his hands.

Emi felt the sudden urge to hit him with something. ~As if I would need his help. Just because he's an Ootori he thinks he's all that.~ She ranted internally, ~I really don't even need to see him tomorrow if I don't want to, all he's doing is research anyways. I will go back to the stacks instead.~ Satisfied with her outcome, Emi subconsciously smiled as she carried on doing her homework.

Kyouya watched her every move with calculated eyes, wondering what she could be thinking.

o0o

True to plan Emi arrived to the library as soon as the bell rang and made a beeline for her window. She placed her school bag on the floor before flopping herself in a very unlady like manner onto the ground in the puddle of sun pouring through the window. She closed her eyes as the rays of sun warmed her skin and caught the highlights in her hair. Her bright, overstuffed Ouran uniform encompassed her and made the ground surprisingly comfortable. ~Maybe there is a perk to this dress after all.~ She speculated in bliss. Today had been quite regular and for some reason it had established a sense of melancholy on Emi.

She laid in front of the window, and quietly began to sing. She sang to the books and to the window. She sang about the regularity of the day and how she never wanted to leave the quiet of this long forgotten aisle. She sang sweet nothings that vanished from her mind the second they left her lips. After a couple minutes of sunbathing she stood up and gracefully twirled around the window. Closing her eyes she spun and danced with grace rivaling a professional ballerina. Her sweet voice filled the air and when Emi decided she had recovered from her temporary state of sadness she finished her last tune and settled in front of the window.

Her sense of peace was ripped away by the sound of clapping coming from the opposite end of the aisle. Her stomach dropped and Emi feared she may be sick. Out from behind the stack of dusty documents stepped Kyouya Ootori. And the grin he wore was more terrifying than anything Emi had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Kyouya was giddy with himself as he peered at the terrified girl in front of him. He had entered the library five minutes after the lunch bell ring to find that Emi was no where to be found. Unsurprised with his discovery after sensing her unease since their initial introduction, he asked the librarian if he knew where she went. The elderly librarian had smiled at him- which to any other student would have terrified them because the Ouran librarian was thought to be the most ruthless woman in the city- and said she often disappeared into the stacks during lunch.

"I'm glad someone is looking for her, she seems lonely sometimes, the poor dear." The older woman said softly with a far away look in her eye, "But you two better not do any funny business back in those stacks or else..." She quipped, returning to her traditional one-look-could-kill ways. Kyouya thanked her and began wandering through the maze in the far corners of the library.

After fifteen minutes of searching he was about to retrace his steps when he heard the a sound that he could only describe as heavenly. He followed the beautiful music through a few more twists and turns then peered around a corner to see a surprising sight. The sun was filtering through a dirty window and hit her hair, making it shine like gold. The girl was floating around the aisle like an angel, dancing and singing in a way that paralyzed Kyouya in his tracks. His feet stopped moving but his mind went into overdrive. Within seconds he had his phone out and began recording the scene in front of him, all the while keeping his eyes on the slip of a girl in front of him. He had never seen her face filled with so much passion. In class she was polite but portrayed no true emotion, not unlike himself.

Her eyes were closed, which was the only reason he had not been spotted, as she twirled between the book shelves, singing about everything and nothing. Her voice was sad, stirring feelings in Kyouya that he had never felt before. Each note that slipped past her tongue felt like a knife that dug into his cold heart. Were it not for his rational mind he would have run from his hiding spot to stop and comfort the girl. After a few minutes of tragic beauty she twirled in place, holding a single note for what felt like eons. She finished her melody and lowered her arms, turning to face the cloudy window. Slowly Emi raised her hand and placed it on one of the panes, the rays of sun making it seem as if she was encased in an outline of light.

Kyouya decided it was time to make his presence known. He ended the video on his phone and tucked it away before stepping into the hallway and started to clap.

o0o

The first sound caused Emi to visually jump before she turned around and stared at Kyouya in horror. She staggered and grabbed onto the window sill for support when she recognized who had found her.

"O-Ootori-san?" She said, trying to regain her composure and pushing off of the window to stand correctly.

Kyouya didn't reply and instead chose to stalk towards her, the mischievous grin on his face sending chills up her spine. Emi refused to back up when Kyouya got within arms reach of her.

"What do you want from me." She said icily.

"I was searching for my research partner of course." He replied pleasantly, the wide smile never leaving his face.

"I would have thought you could do research without someone holding your hand." She countered, satisfied that the horrible grin finally slipped off his face.

"I never knew you were so talented, I wonder who else would like to know about it." Kyouya said, raising his phone to show her. "This spot is also a unique find. I could definitely sell its location to lovebirds looking for a more private getaway."

Emi froze. Her sanctuary, the only place in this school that she felt safe, had been infested by the most foul creature she had ever faced. She threw her emotional mask up to hide the turmoil that made her want to burst. After a moment of sorting herself out she took in a steady breath. "As I said before, what do you want from me."

Kyouya smirked. "You will join me after school at the Host Club every day and sign on as an assistant to me. You will be helping me with the coordination and funding of the club in order to keep your little... window, beyond the scope of the students at this academy. Failure to attend or refuse to complete the tasks I request sufficiently will lead to the immediate distribution of this location in addition to the publication of your performance."

Emi outwardly glowered at him, not even trying to rein in the waves of hatred that rolled off her. "If you wanted help with your club you could have simply ~asked~ and I would not have to feel so threatened."

"I will see you back in class, I believe the bell is about to ring. You can walk to the club with Tamaki and I after the final bell." Kyouya said pleasantly before spinning on his heel and swiftly leaving the aisle.

Emi dropped to her knees once she could no longer hear the sound of his footsteps. ~I will not cry. I will not give up this safe haven.~ She thought stubbornly as her throat clenched. ~I will not give him that satisfaction. I will never let him get to me.~ She stood up and gathered her things, her face set in stone. ~He may think he has won, but I will never bow to his will.~

o0o

~Why does he want help in his club anyways?~ Emi thought, staring holes into the back of brunette's head. ~Is he actually too helpless to run his own club that he just needs someone to help and threatening is his only way of getting it?~ She shook her head ~No surely not, he's too smart and proud for that. What is his motive? Why me?~ The end of school was getting closer and closer and Emi was only getting more confused. Other than being slightly creepy and constantly prying at her life (from a safe distance that anyone else would probably not have noticed), Emi knew nothing personal about Ootori Kyouya. He was the third son of a well known business man that specialized in hospital management but that was common knowledge. He ran the Ouran Host Club and was close friends with Suoh Tamaki. She knew his superficial character but, again, that is all common knowledge.

She sighed and looked down at her doodle. She loved math and learned the material weeks in advance so class was irrelevant in her mind. By strategically sitting in the back of the class, she avoided attention and was allowed to draw to her heart's content without fear of discovery. ~I'm such a nut.~ She thought to herself as she finished the shading on the cherry blossom tree outside the classroom window. The blooms were beginning to fade away with the approach of summer so she filled in the pink flowers from memory.

~I have five minutes before I become an indentured slave to one of the most vile people on this planet.~ She thought darkly, then sat stick straight and eyes wide. ~That was so bitter! I don't want to be bitter, I am just frustrated is all.~ She said to herself, ~But I should have every right to be, right? He has been so spiteful and weird to me every since I met him.~ Emi continued her internal war and almost missed the bell ringing. The sound jarred her from her trance and she gasped. ~I have no time! He's already standing up and looking at me, I have to go now. Maybe I should say I'm sick? No of course I can't, he'll know I'm lying. Dangit! I missed my time to plot!~

"You must be Sugita-san!" Tamaki said as he bounded towards her. "It is my honor to escort you to our wonderful club today," He gushed while kneeling to a low bow, which was quite impressive due to the extra weight of fangirls hanging off his shoulders.

"Ready to go?" A silky voice asked,

Emi turned to see Kyouya a few desks down, waiting. She stifled a sigh and nodded. Tamaki moved out of the way as she slid from the desk and picked up her school bag.

"Did you DRAW this?" Tamaki said in disbelief as he peered at the sketch of the cherry blossom tree.

"Yes, I did." Emi answered lightly before closing her art book and holding it tightly to her chest. "Shall we proceed?"

"Let's go!" Tamaki yelled before sprinting out of the class, fangirls in tow.

Emi exited the room and Kyouya fell in step next to her.

"So what will I be doing this afternoon?" She asked, forcing her normal, bubbly voice out.

He glanced at her before answering, "The members of the Ouran Host Club are different than the average person, Tamaki is a prime example. They will most likely use the majority of club time today getting to know you so consider this your first and only day off."

Emi nodded, her facial features never changing as she listened to him but internally she began another battle against social anxiety. She stopped outside the doors to music room and Kyouya reached for the handle.

"Welcome to the Host Club." He said, and opened the doors.

o0o

Kyouya looked over his computer to peek at Emi. She was currently speaking with the Hitachiin brothers and he was surprised to see they weren't tormenting her. Instead they seemed to be carrying out a pleasant conversation and Kyouya could see Emi's sketch book in one of the twins' hands. ~So she has already begun the process.~ He thought with a smirk. His plan was perfect and he applauded himself for his masterful plot. Discovering Emi's hideout had simplified his previous plan to learn more about her. By blackmailing her into joining the club, the members of the club would surely force her to spill more about her life eventually; it happened to Haruhi, why not Emi? In addition, this would expand his deadline. The history project could come and go and he would still have access to her as she was now forced to attend club every day. This had truly turned out better than he could have hoped. Hearing her sing was just icing on the cake. ~Wait, what was that?~ He thought suddenly, ~Her singing has nothing to do with the plan, she would never agree to sing for profit.~ Kyouya was troubled and quickly turned back to his laptop. ~Doesn't matter, I will finally have that file and my research will be complete.~


	3. Chapter 3

Emi left the host club happy. Seconds after Kyouya had opened the door, she was greeted by five lovely voices. A very tiny blonde boy had ran up to her and immediately introduced her to everyone. The two twin first years were the Hitachiin brothers Kaoru and Hikaru, who she later discovered were related to the fashion phenomena Hitachiin. They did get a little nosy when they asked why she was going to work for them but after she mentioned Kyouya they had dropped the subject like a rock. They were intensely interested in her sketchbook and after one of them (Hikaru, she thinks) stole it, they fell in love. They went off on an artistic rant that left Emi blushing and after multiple requests she consented to make a few copies of specific pieces. She was blown away with the respect they gave her when she observed their overall horrible behavior with everyone else in the club.

The tall, fit brunette that stood close to the small blonde was the senior Morinaga Takashi, whom she learned to call Mori-senpai. He never spoke a word but his demeanor revealed a kind heart and when she thanked him for listening to her talk about her anxiety of meeting everyone he had patted her head.

The cute boy had then realized he had not introduced himself and claimed he was Haninozuka Mitsukuni, also a senior. After recovering from discovering the small boy in front of her was in fact older than herself, she learned he had a major sweet tooth. After a small comment on her love for chocolate he had bombarded her with questions on types of chocolate and cake. She had laughed at his eagerness and had an immediate pull to protect him, despite his strong companion and history of being 'the ultimate weapon'.

The next member to be introduced was another first year named Fujioka Haruhi. This person stumped her more than anyone else in the room. The air around them was different than the other boys and Emi could not put her finger on it. After a quick conversation she figured it out.

"Haruhi, how do you have time to go to the market and make dinner after the club?" Emi had asked

"The market is on my way home so it isn't hard." Commoner? Check.

"By the way I am so glad you are here. Do you happen to have a pad? I just had to start today." Emi had whispered,

"Sure, let me go get it." Female? Check.

Hani-senpai only named Kyouya and Tamaki because he correctly assumed they knew each other, seeing as they have been in the same class for three years. Time had passed quickly as she chatted with members in between their guest visits and she was almost excited to return tomorrow. Almost. Kyouya had followed her every move all afternoon and it was starting to get on her nerves. Tomorrow she would have to work with him during the club hours. She suppressed a shudder. ~I guess the other hosts help make up for him.~

Sighing with content she exited the doors from the building out into the campus of Ouran. She took a deep breath, reveling in her freedom before continuing her trek to her car.

"I assume you learned a bit about everyone today?" A voice said from behind her. Emi turned to see Kyouya emerge from the shadowy halls into the light of setting sun.

"I did and thank you for hiring me." She replied with a genuine smile, "I'm glad to have met your friends and I look forward to tomorrow." With another flash of a smile she turned and continued to the student parking lot.

"Is your limo pulling up somewhere else?" He called to her,

Emi turned back and noticed the other members were standing at the front gate as four limos waited for them. "I drive myself." She said simply, leaving Kyouya behind to her find her baby, Olivier. Olivier was a black Mustang convertible that Emi loved with all her heart. It was specially made with all sorts of handy tricks on it. Emi preferred driving herself and she treasured her time alone in Olivier with the top open and the wind rushing through her golden tresses. As she pulled out of the parking lot she saw the group of hosts watching her and she waved at them as she passed. They waved back and she shared her perfect smile with them before cranking up her music and disappearing into the city.

o0o

~So she drives a Jaguar, huh?~ Kyouya thought, with a smirk, ~That will most definitely help.~ He climbed into his assigned limo and immediately opened his computer to hack the national department of transportation. He was in the site before he returned home.

"Bring my bags to my room along with a strong cup of tea." He ordered his driver before walking quickly through his mansion, up the stairs, and into his wing of the house. He placed his laptop on his desk and continued his search for Emi's sports car and grew more frustrated by the second. ~She drives a luxury sports car, strictly within the city I'm sure, so why is it not here?!~ He banged his fist against the desk in frustration. ~How is she getting around the government? Is that vehicle even licensed to drive? Who are you Sugita Emi?~

o0o

In the end, Kyouya wasted the entire night searching the internet to no avail. Sugita Emi did not exist and neither did her car apparently. Defeated and exhausted, he dragged himself into his classroom and plopped into his chair. Out of sudden curiosity, he turned to check the back corner to see if

was there but the seat was empty.

~Have I made up her entire existence?~ He thought hysterically before jumping at the sound of the bell ringing. ~Oh. The bell hadn't rung yet...~

Within seconds the room flooded with students and sure enough Emi appeared amongst the crowd. Their eyes met and she slipped him a smile before settling in her seat.

~What does she get out of doing that all the time.~ He thought, ~She doesn't need to smile so much, it's distracting. Wait.~ As he was about to start internally attacking himself for the random thought process he heard a specific voice resonating from the back of the room.

"Emi-san I didn't know you drove yourself everywhere! In a Mustang none the less!" Tamaki cooed over Emi as she sat in her desk,

"It's an amazing feeling of independence to drive by oneself." She responded with a dazzling grin, "Do you know how to drive, Tamaki-san?"

"Well, no I do not... but that gives me an amazing idea! Where's Mommy?"

Kyouya immediately froze as he overheard the conversation take a turn for the worst. Emi's giggle travelled across the room as Tamaki sprinted over to Kyouya.

"Mommy, Mommy! Our next event must be racecar themed! I want everyone in car suits and a real car in the studio and..." Kyouya sighed as he drowned out Tamaki's' rambling. ~I will never get any peace.~

The day went on as normal. Tamaki spouted out ideas for a race car theme until Kyouya said he would ruin the surprise for the guests which sent him into a spiraling depression of regret for his loudness. Kyouya managed to get all of his work for the day done while Tamaki pouted and started on personal business assignments before he recovered. By lunch Tamaki had reverted to his carefree self and Kyouya noticed how quickly Emi slipped out from the classroom and into the library. He was tempted to follow her but he respected her wish for privacy and ate lunch with the other hosts. The end of day finally rolled around and Kyouya, Tamaki, and Emi made their way to the third music room. Tamaki and Emi were talking about music when they opened the doors to the studio.

"I think the piano might be my favorite instrument, although I have no idea how to play it." Emi said cheerfully,

Tamaki looked taken aback, "If it is your favorite then it is my duty to perform for you my princess!" He cheered and attempted to make his way towards the piano (that magically appeared) but found he was not making any progress.

"Tamaki-san, we have gone over this. Please call me Emi-san or Sugita-san, not princess. I am not a guest here, I am an employee to the club and I wish to be treated as such." With her mini speech over, Emi released the back of Tamaki's shirt and he fell on his face from his exertion of force forward.

Kyouya sat down at the table at the end of the room and watched the two second years with amusement. Eventually Tamaki reached the piano and began to demonstrate his mastery of the instrument. He noticed that Emi got a sudden far away look in her eye and she started to sway as the melody continued. She closed her eyes as the beautiful notes flowed through the room and into those listening to it. Emi took a step and Kyouya wondered if she was about to start a performance similar to the one he had previously seen in the library but instead she placed a hand on Tamaki's shoulder and smiled down at him. He closed out the song and returned the smile.

Kyouya felt a twist inside and it confused him. ~What is this horrible girl doing to me?~

Tamaki and Emi talked for a few more minutes before the twins opened the doors and guests filed in. Tamaki assumed his role as King and Emi floated across the room to sit next to Kyouya.

"So what's my assignment today?"

"As you may have heard, we will be having a race car themed host club that is scheduled in three weeks time. That gives us more than enough time to plan and prepare the room to reflect that theme. I will be giving you information on the host club funding and you will be in charge of decorating and designing costumes. The day of the event you will be a photographer and get pictures worthy of putting into a calendar to sell." He said,

"Understood. Will I need to bring my own camera or would you prefer me to use yours?" She asked,

"Bring your own, it will be easier."

Emi nodded and immediately went to work on her computer, transferring information to her laptop from Kyoya's' and scouring the internet for decorations worthy of the host club. Kyouya returned to his own computer screen where he was returning emails to business clients. Every now and then he would feel eyes on him but whenever he looked, she was working on her project.

o0o

Emi was tapping away on her laptop when a hand grabbed hers and stopped her.

"I would like you to help with tea and cake distribution today, we have more people than Haruhi can handle." Kyouya whispered in her ear, causing an odd shiver to run up her spine.

She drew back a few inches to look at Kyouya, "You assigned me an important event on my first day of helping you and instead of allowing me to use your wisdom to prepare you want me to work as a food caterer?" She asked, barely containing the sarcasm that wanted to spill over, "I just want to clarify."

He raised a single perfect eyebrow. "Did I somehow confuse you?" She responded with a small glare and swiftly stood from her chair to find Haruhi.

She found the short brunette in the back room feverishly making tea.

"Hey Haruhi! What can I help with?" She asked,

Haruhi looked up and relief flooded her eyes. " If you could refill cakes that would be perfect. Go to Hani-senpai's table first so he can get everything he wants."

Emi nodded and grabbed the tea cart. "I will be helping out the rest of today so if you show me how you make the tea and coffee you can return to your guests, they're waiting for you."

"Are you sure?" Haruhi asked,

"Positive," Emi replied with a smile.

Haruhi walked through what each of the contraptions in the back room did to ensure Emi knew what she was doing before returning to her table with a grateful smile. "If you get overwhelmed or need help with something let me know!"

Emi shooed her out of the room and returned with the cart. Refilling snacks and beverages proved to be more stressful than Emi anticipated. All the guests wanted to know who she was and why she worked for the host club. Some even asked if she was dating Kyouya and she was surprised with their harsh tones and barely concealed hatred. She provided vague answers and bright smiles that seemed to appease the girls before retreating to the back room.

~Who knew fangirls could be so vile.~ She thought as she slumped over the counter, wishing the clock would move faster. There were twenty minutes left of club time so she was expected to run another round of treats. Exhausted, she stared at the coffee filtering into the pot. ~Just twenty more minutes.~

Twenty-one minutes later all of the guests had filtered out of the room and Haruhi and Emi were circling the tables, collecting cups. The hosts had already left, leaving the two ladies to clean up after them.

"I can finish this up if you want to head home, Haruhi." Emi said, "I know you have a busier night than I do and I don't mind. Plus it's always safer to catch the early train."

"Are you sure Emi-senpai?" Haruhi asked,

"Of course! Get out of here, there is only a bit left anyways." She replied,

Haruhi gave her a wide smile and grabbed her bag. "Will you be back Monday?"

"I will be here until Kyouya says he doesn't want me, so yes." She said exasperatedly,

Haruhi looked at her for a second then nodded and closed the door. Emi sighed, allowing her stress for the day flow out. She looked around the empty room and really acknowledged the size of it. She started to hum and was satisfied with the way it reverberated through the room. Soon enough she was singing and dancing through the tables as she continued to clean. Her lyrics started off positive, reflecting on her enjoyment of the club members. After a couple minutes it dipped into a more melancholy mood and voiced her recent anxiety of meeting strangers.

"How their eyes, they stare through and through. Past my skin, into my heart. please tell me. What is the view?" Her sweet voice was like honey, filling the air and leaving its trace everywhere. She floated around the room with grace and elegance, carrying the empty tea cups back to their designated spots in the back room. She was spinning to the last table, still singing her heart-wrenching tune when the sound of the door opening stopped her in her tracks.


	4. Chapter 4

"E-Emi-senpai?" Haruhi asked as she timidly entered the room, "That was beautiful, I'm sorry I interrupted."

"No, it's fine." Emi replied with a faint blush, "Did you forget something?"

"Yes, one of my textbooks." Haruhi said as she shuffled over to her designated table and grabbed a book on a chair.

"I'll see you Monday!" Emi said, turning back to the final table that needed to be clean. ~How embarrassing,~ She thought, ~That's the second time in two days.~

"Um, Emi-senpai?" Haruhi called from the door. Emi turned back from the cart and looked at her, waiting for her to speak. "Is Kyouya-senpai forcing you to work for him?"

Emi looked down and scratched her head before returning her gaze to the first year, "Well, yes. I guess that is what happened. I would prefer if not everyone knew though." She said, maintaining eye-contact.

Haruhi nodded, "I won't get into your business, but I understand your problem. I have to host because I'm indebted to him."

"Really? What happened?"

"I broke a vase on accident my first day here." Haruhi sighed. "That stupid vase will be the end of me, I'm glad to finally have a girl to water down the testosterone."

Emi laughed and felt truly touched that this girl was comforting her despite not knowing any details of her situation.

"If you hang around a sec I can just drop you off at the market on the way home." Emi offered.

"It's fine, I just needed to grab my book." Haruhi said, opening the door to the hallway.

"If you say so, but it really is no trouble. It will give me some company before I go make my dinner." Emi smiled,

"You make your own food?" Haruhi asked, mouth open in surprise,

"Er, well I try to. I don't like having a chef at the house, I don't want people being there when no one is around, so I usually make it myself. I know how to do a mean grilled cheese."

Haruhi paused and thought for a second. "If you don't mind shopping with me, you can have dinner at my house and I'll show you how to make miso soup, it's really simple."

Emi's eyes widened, "Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

Emi felt a smile grow and couldn't help doing a tiny jump of excitement, ~Today has been amazing.~

o0o

~Last night was perfect.~ She thought, ~Too perfect, I can't allow myself to slip up like that again.~ Emi lay in her bed, watching the sun trickle in through her window with heavy thoughts circling in her head.~Who knew friendship would come so easily, to me of all people.~

The previous night, Emi and Haruhi had stopped by a local market and got all of the necessary ingredients for their meal. Haruhi had laughed at her reaction to the 'vast and beautiful' bakery and Emi had laughed at her awed reaction to Olivier. Emi assumed that driving oneself was an incredibly rare thing. After returning to Haruhi's quaint home, they immediately began making dinner. Haruhi's father, Ranka-san, had returned from work right as the miso soup had finished and was delighted to find Haruhi hanging out with another girl. Dinner was pleasant and the trio had a fun time. Emi was relieved to learn that neither of them pressured her when she stated she didn't want to share her family matters. After eating and cleaning up Emi tried to slip out but could not escape until she had promised that she would eat dinner with the Fujioka's at least once a week. As she left she heard Ranka-san mumble something about not wanting to leave another young girl without a parental influence and the caring tone in his voice hit her hard. The drive home left her too much time to think and by the time she returned home she was an emotional wreck. Life was unfair and she hated it. That night she cried in a rare fit of raw emotion that led to a deep slumber.

~I can't let myself get connected to people. I must be strong and independent, just like always.~

o0o

The weekend slipped by quickly and before Emi knew it, it was time for her first class to start. She started her trek into the bright pink building housing her classroom when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, right where a thick bruise was forming.

With a squeak and a slight jump she had grabbed the offender's hand and spun them around, placing them in an uncomfortable position while she held leverage over them in a defensive stance.

"Emi it's just me! Ple-OW that hurts!- let me go!" Tamaki spluttered as he quivered in her death grip.

Emi released his arm and stepped back, slightly embarrassed with her reaction. "I'm sorry Tamaki, it was pure instinct."

"Pure instinct? Do you partake in some form of martial art?" Kyouya said from behind Tamaki.

~Of course _he_ had to be here to see that.~ "I took self defense courses in middle school, I'm not sure if that would be considered martial arts though." She replied brightly,

"Well," Tamaki started as he rubbed his aching arm, "I wanted to ask you if you would like to eat with the hosts today! Many would perceive such an invitation as a true honor and I hope you will consider it wholeheartedly!" He said in his most profound host voice.

"No thank-you." Emi replied curtly, before turning and walking to her class,

"B-but, Emiiii." Tamaki whined while running to catch up to her, "Whyyyy,"

"I use lunch time to study." She said before glancing down at him and seeing his perfected puppy face. She stopped her travel and sighed, closing her eyes. After a second of collecting her thoughts she peeked a glance at him. She wanted to say yes. In reality she wanted to more than that. She wanted jump up in the air and hug this idiotic boy and thank him for opening his arms to her as well as the rest of the hosts. They had given her friendship despite hardly knowing her and it touched her heart. "I am sorry Tamaki but I will not be able to join you today, my studies come first." And before she could allow herself time to change her mind, she turned and continued on to her first class, each step a struggle. ~I am protecting them. This can't be helped.~

o0o

Kyouya and Tamaki watched Emi walk down the hall in silence.

"Why do you think she would lie like that?" Tamaki said in a moment of matureness,

Kyouya looked over at him in mild surprise, "Why do you think she lied?"

Tamaki glanced back at Kyouya with a knowing look, "You can see it in her eyes. They yearned to come with us but something was holding her back. What is holding her back, Kyouya?"

Taken aback by his friend addressing him by his real name, it took Kyouya a minute to respond. "I don't know Tamaki, I just don't know."

By the end of the day Tamaki had forgotten the incident in the hallway but Kyouya had not. He looked forward to Host Club that afternoon in hopes of prying more information out of Emi. He knew she was more of the outsider type but openly denying someone went against her overall lovable nature. ~Did I really just describe her as lovable? I have definitely cracked.~ He thought as he wrote down another scrap of information from his teacher. The end of the day could not come fast enough and when the final bell rang Kyouya sighed in relief. He stood and gathered his things and turned to find Emi waiting for him. She gave him a small smile before following him into the hallway with Tamaki trailing behind surrounded by a mass of fangirls.

"We will be continuing our racecar project and I will be teaching you my methods of handling the finances of the club."

She nodded in understanding but did not speak a word. Kyouya noted her slight change in behavior and tucked it away in his mind.

Club started as normal with the hosts welcoming guests in a gust of rose petals and the swooning of fangirls. Kyouya returned to his corner after the introduction where Emi sat poring over the finances of the club.

"Are you understanding everything?" He said after a few minutes of painful silence.

She nodded but, again, did not speak a word. ~Well, better for me. Her chatter got on my nerves anyways.~ He thought stubbornly.

Mid-way through the club Kyouya saw Haruhi running between the tables at what he would describe as a slow-motion sprint.

He turned to Emi, "Would you go and-." Emi was gone. He straightened up in his chair and looked around his desk before scanning the room for the blonde. He spotted her exiting the backroom with a trolley full of refreshments, moving in earnest towards Haruhi. Without consent a small smile formed on his face as the two girls chatted. ~So she hasn't gone mute after all.~

After a few rounds of catering Emi wound her way back to Kyouya's table and resumed work on the host project. She was halfway through the design of costumes and there was hope that she would finish Hani-senpai's' before the end of club hours.

The remainder of club was spent with Kyouya attempting to work and watching Emi work instead or watching Emi run between tables refilling teacups and offering cookies and cake. As time wore on he noticed that Emi's odd behavior had spread to the others hosts as well. She would talk politely with them but move on quickly, never sparing more than a sentence or two. When the top of the hour hit and the guests left he strolled out of the music room with all the other hosts.

"I will finish up cleaning, don't worry. See you tomorrow!" Emi said to Haruhi and she ushered her out of the music room, "And don't forget your textbook this time." She added with a wink before closing the door.

"What does she mean by that?" The twins asked in unison,

"I left my book in here the other day while Emi-senpai was cleaning. It turned out alright, we ate dinner after." Haruhi said nonchalantly as she moved down the hallway,

"What?!" Was the immediate reaction from Kaoru, Hikaru, and Tamaki before rushing to Haruhi for details about why they weren't invited to Haruhi's meal.

Amidst the rambunctious teens, Haruhi turned and looked at Kyouya with solemn eyes, "Is Emi okay? Something was off about her today." She said,

Kyouya looked back at her and wished for the thousandth time he had an answer about the girl, "I don't know, she won't tell me."

"Don't you know everything about everyone?" One of the twins said,

"Yah, you keep files on the entire school, you must have some idea." The other added,

Kyouya shook his head, "She is the only one I don't have a file for."

The hosts looked at him in astonishment. Never had they thought that Kyouya could be bested at his own game and the girl in the room across from them, cleaning, had done just that.

"Emi-chan probably has a really good reason for not saying anything, I bet." Hani said softly,

"Hn." Mori agreed,

"Whatever it is, we need to just give her time and hope she opens back up to us!" Tamaki said enthusiastically,

"She was fine last week." The twins mumbled together.

"Something could have happened over the weekend." Haruhi offered,

"It doesn't matter," Tamaki said determinedly, "We will have to show her that we can be trusted and allow her to open up to us and share her secrets!"

The twins fist pumped and the hosts left the Ouran building in confidence. This was just another case of a lonely girl needing support. How hard could it be?


	5. Chapter 5

Double post today, Happy 4th of July everyone! Be safe and have fun!

This chapter speeds things up a touch, hope you enjoy

* * *

Opening Emi up proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. The host had learned nothing about Emi despite all of their attempts (much to the dismay of Kyouya) but had found success in other places. In two weeks time they had relaxed her and discovered her more sarcastic and comedic side. The twins played a few practical jokes on her in an attempt to anger her but only received a positive reaction, usually a laugh or a playful hit on the shoulder. After the third or fourth trick she decided to retaliate and began laying traps for the twins in return. While the other hosts found it hilarious the twins saw it as a chance to gain a new toy in addition to accepting Emi as a playmate- in devious plans. Kyouya had to put his foot down before an all-out war began.

Hani did his best by offering her cake and chatting her up but even when he cranked the cuteness up to dangerous levels she did not yield the information he was asking. Her responses remained controlled and vague, never allowing a trace of fangirl to enter her system.

Mori accompanied Hani in his attempts and also found time to do small things for her like carry her books and suggest novels to read. This low-key tactic seemed fruitless to the other hosts but it proved to be the most effective. Emi began to sit with the hosts a few days a week to talk with Mori (or rather she talked and he listened) and a rumor spread like wildfire that the pair were dating. After much explanation it was accepted that she only enjoyed the company of her senpai because he possessed calming air about him that none of her other friends (basically the host club) had.

Tamaki was the main reason Emi still fled to the library on occasion. His loud and extravagant speeches about her wary ways pushed her away. Any time he opened his mouth in reference to her she would slip away within seconds. The twins even made a game of it and called it the 'Who first notices when Emi is gone' game.

Haruhi grew closer to the older girl and within days had formed a strong relationship with her. They would laugh and talk and on occasion study together despite their difference in grade levels. They cleaned the club room together after club hours every day and Emi made a habit of taking her home. Haruhi always tried to convince Emi to stay for dinner and despite Emi's reluctant attitude, she usually obliged. The key point that would usually break Emi's stubborn attitude was the presence of Ranka-san. Haruhi did not know how it happened but they got along as if they had known each other for years. Ranka of course was pleased that Haruhi had a girlfriend to hang out with but it went beyond that. He seemed to deeply care for her, not too different than how he cared for Haruhi. Even though the relationship between the two girls had grown exponentially, Haruhi could reveal no information about Emi other than what everyone already knew. Haruhi of course didn't mind, but Kyouya was secretly in disbelief with the results.

To a majority of the hosts the reveal of Emi's more relaxed side was the same thing as learning personal information about her but Kyouya was not satisfied. He wanted answers and on the Friday before the week of the racecar event he had his opportunity.

o0o

"Is the host event completely ready for next week?" Kyouya asked,

"Yep!" Emi chirped back,

Kyouya was silent for a moment, allowing a calm stillness to wash over them as the craziness of the club carried on around them.

"By the way, have you finished your research for the history project?" He asked,

She turned towards him with horror in her eyes, "I thought you were going to do it!" She said, feeling as if a cord had tightened around her neck.

"And I thought I was person who held all the control between us and asked you to finish the project." He responded coolly,

Emi felt panic rise up in her throat. There was so much work for the research to do! She had assumed since she was making the physical presentation he would take on all of the research but instead he had only done part of it.

"The assignment is due on Monday and that research paper is going to take hours to complete. Two days is an impossible time limit for one person to finish a quality paper, you should take responsibility for waiting to tell me." She said with a huff,

"If you are so worried about working under an 'impossible time limit' then how about we meet tomorrow to work on the project together?"

~Damn him and his nosy ways.~ Emi seethed inside, "That would be ideal, where do you want to meet?" She chirped, portraying a happy character despite her true feelings inside.

"You're requesting it so let's meet at your estate." He said with the ghost of a grin on his lips.

"The kitchen is being re-done and the noise would prohibit any production." She lied quickly, "What about the local library? It will be more quiet."

Emi laughed at the face Kyouya made, "Okay, okay, no library." She said, giggling.

"We'll go to mine then. I can send a limo if you give me an address."

~Just drop it, I'm not going to tell you where I live.~ "Just give me the address and I'll drive." She replied,

"Okay what's your number?" He said,

She sighed internally. ~I can't get out of everything.~ They exchanged numbers and Emi got up to help Haruhi.

o0o

The wind whipped Emi's hair across her face as she sped along in Olivier en route to Kyouyas' estate. The brilliant sunlight warmed her face, the sunroof on her Mustang folded down offering optimum freedom. The music was blaring and the bass pounded, her singing was stolen away by the air rushing past her face. ~I have to be extra careful with this encounter.~ She thought, ~The hosts have been so sweet to me the last couple weeks, I don't want that to change.~ With a sigh, she tucked her melancholy mood into the recesses of her mind and basked in the small joy that welled up inside her. She was going over to someone's house for something more than pure business. Yes they were going to be working and yes they had a schedule to keep, but she didn't have to worry about every gesture or word out of her mouth. It was going to be a calm setting. To be honest, she actually looked forward to spending time with the old Shadow King. He had grown on her in a way that she never thought was possible. His presence gave her a bizarre sense of security despite her constant indirect war with his prying nature. ~It seems as if I have gone insane,~ She thought wistfully, ~I enjoy the presence of a viper and indulge myself in wandering around his nest.~

o0o

Kyouya was in deep sleep when his door opened. Light hit his face and he turned over with a grumble in attempt to escape it.

"Kyouya?" He heard, "Uh, you need to wake up now. Please." He responded with grabbing his blanket and burrowing deeper into his bed. He heard a sigh followed by silence and assumed whoever bothered him had left. A hand suddenly grabbed his blanket and pulled it away from him, forcing him to open his eyes in order to glare at the intruder. His death glare was cut short by the sight of petite blonde in leggings and long-sleeve shirt holding his blanket close and watching him with wary eyes. ~The fact that she owns a t-shirt is bizarre.~ He thought.

"You understand it's one in the afternoon, right?" Emi said impassively,

Kyouya stared at her for a minute longer, maintaining her steady eye-contact, before taking a deep breath, "I was asleep, so no, I did not know it was one in the afternoon. Why are you in my bedroom?"

Emi did not falter at his accusation and it almost looked like she smirked, "You seemed to have scared your staff to the point where they refuse to wake you. When I arrived they showed me into this room. I assumed it was somewhere I would wait for you but I found you snoozing away instead. Do you have guests wake you often?"

If Kyouya was any less proud he would have rolled his eyes at her. "Well if you don't mind I would like to change. Please wait outside for a moment then we can get to work." He saw her nod and once his door closed he flopped back into his bed with a huff. ~This file better be worth it.~

Two minutes later he was opening his bedroom door fully clothed in jeans and a sweater. "Let's work on the racecar event first, as that is the more pressing matter." He said as he allowed her back into the room.

She nodded again and scanned the room, "Where should I set up?" She asked,

"Use the couch next to my desk." He replied. Within minutes they had both settled down comfortably with their computers and began to work. A thick silence hung over them, only broken by a quick question or confirmation. Kyouya watched out of the corner of his eye how Emi slowly relaxed. By mid-day the tense atmosphere had dissipated and been replaced by a one more upbeat. They stopped for lunch and ended up talking about school and a sarcastic comment from Emi surprised Kyouya into laughing out loud.

"I like it when you do that." Emi said quietly,

Kyouya took a moment to regain his composure before turning to her, "Do what, exactly?"

"That." She said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You act so heartless at school; you never smile freely or laugh fully, it makes me sad that you force yourself to be so reserved."

He didn't say anything, too stunned by her boldness to make a sound.

"But like just now, I think that was wonderful. It shows even a blackmailing, business man like you has a sense of humor."

"I wouldn't call it heartless. Plus, the people at our school don't deserve to see that side of me anyways." Kyouya said, finally finding his voice and forcing a comment out with a smirk. She giggled softly then returned to her computer screen, leaving Kyouya in deep thought.

Around eight-thirty that night she closed her laptop and stood.

"Thank you for your hospitality Ootori-san, I feel much better about this project now that we have collaborated." She said softly with a light smile,

Kyouya found himself returning it and watched as she turned to leave. Just as she was about to pass him he grabbed her forearm. Before he could speak she had wrenched it from his grasp and stepped into a defensive stance, cradling her arm.

"I..." He was at loss for words due to her spontaneous reaction to such a small touch.

Emi suddenly blushed and eased her stance, "I'm sorry, you just frightened me there for a second and you happened to grab me where I have a bruise. Please forgive my rash actions." She bowed slightly. He stood and walked over to where she was bowing and forced her back into a standing position by gently pulling her chin up. He was directly in front her, a matter of inches away from her face.

"There is no need to apologize, and please, call me Kyouya." Suddenly they weren't in his room anymore. All he could see was her bright emerald eyes that seemed to fill his entire being with warmth.

She looked back into his eyes with a fire that burned into his very soul. "If you wish, Kyouya-san."

Before he could question his better judgment he closed his eyes and leaned into her, having a sudden irresistable desire to feel her lips on his. Before he had the chance he felt himself flying through the air. His back banged against his chair on the desk and he crumbled to the ground beside it. In front of him stood Emi, eyes wide and backing up quickly.

"I-I must g-go. My sense- my parents I mean, they, I, I-I just need to go." She stammered before running from the room, leaving him on the floor with his thoughts.

~What was that?~ He thought, confused with her actions. His own actions sunk in, ~What was THAT? Never in my life have I ever thought I would- I mean- I tried to kiss her! Where did this come from?!~

Lost in confusion, Kyouya spent most of the night nursing his bruised back and helplessly attempting to sort out his feelings. As the sun rose the next day he finally had his answer.

~I, Ootori Kyouya, have done the single most impossible thing. I have fallen in love.~


	6. Chapter 6

Kyouya spent a majority of his Sunday attempting to reach Emi- which proved difficult to do seeing as he only had her phone number and each time he called it was off. Frustrated he paced the room. His schooling was done, he had read ahead in every subject and was prepared for the next two weeks of class. His business matters were handled, all emails responded to, and he now had nothing to occupy his thoughts other than the picture of a certain blonde staring down at him in terror.

When his doors burst opened he almost sighed in relief.

"Mommyyyy!" Tamaki yelled enthusiastically as he entered the room.

Kyouya stood to meet the group and began to walk towards them. The other hosts froze. Within seconds they had disappeared out of the room and closed his bedroom door. From inside he could hear muffled voices and on occasion a yelling. After a few minutes the door creaked open and six sets of eyes stared at him.

"What." He said with malice.

The six guests warily entered the room, "Are you feeling okay, Kyo-kun?" Hani asked,

"Yah, you look horrible." The twins said bluntly.

An evil aura began to emanate from Kyouya and all the hosts returned to the hallway except one. Haruhi remained where she was and gave Kyouya a once-over before beginning a steady approach towards him.

"Come back, dear daughter! Mommy is in a bad mood, it isn't safe for you!" Tamaki yelled,

Haruhi turned around and gave him a hard glare before returning her gaze to Kyouya. When she was an arms length away she did something that nearly stopped the hearts of Tamaki, Kaoru, and Hikaru.

She touched his arm and looked into his eyes. After a moment she rose to the balls of her feet and enveloped him in a tight hug. Kyouya reacted immediately and melted into her touch, hiding his face in the crook of her neck. Together they slipped to the floor and remained there.

Hani and Mori were the first to unfreeze and re-enter Kyouya's room. Hani jumped into the space between Haruhi and Kyouya and joined the hug. Mori sat down and drew the bundle of bodies into his lap. After a few minutes the other three boys regained their senses and leapt into action. They tackled the mass of people and nearly toppled them but Mori kept them upright and together.

After a few minutes of embracing, Kyouya stirred and the group released their tight hold.

"What happened Kyo-kun?" Hani asked softly,

Kyouya was busy barraging himself over his moment of weakness that he nearly missed his senpais' question. He didn't cry-he was an Ootori after all- but Haruhi's' ability to determine his mood was pressuring his breaking point.

~How could I be so weak as to fall apart the moment someone showed me comfort? In fact, how did she even know?~

He took a minute to collect his thoughts and placed his metaphorical mask on to hide his emotions again. He sat up tall and proud and fixed his glasses so they produced a glare to hide his eyes.

"I have upset Emi." He said plainly.

Everyone deadpanned.

"He's bipolar." The twins muttered.

"What did you do to upset Emi?" Haruhi pressed,

"She came over yesterday to work on the racecar event and I... Well I..." Kyouya felt as if he had a ring in his throat that constricted every time he tried to tell them his secret. ~Is it even a secret? What happened was a fact. Why is it so hard to tell them?~

"Did you do something to her?" Tamaki prompted, his voice beginning to careen from worried to hysterical.

"Yes I... I simply..." He was at loss of words.

"What did you do to her?" The twins said menacingly,

"I tried to kiss her!" He burst out, forcing down a blush at the stout silence that followed. The twins' mouths dropped and Tamaki fainted. The three remaining hosts were silent for a minute as the news sunk in.

"I'm sorry she didn't react well, Kyouya-senpai." Haruhi said lightly,

"It couldn't be helped," He said with a sigh, "But I know now what I must do." He added with confidence,

Tamaki popped up like a daisy and immediately entered his drama-king stage. "Poor Mommy is heart broken yet still so set on fixing the woman with which he has wronged, how delightfully selfless and caring he is!" He gushed.

"What are you doing in my house." Kyouya said darkly, he appreciated the comforting but Tamaki was already getting on his nerves again.

The twins opened their mouths to speak but another voice cut them off.

"We were just heading to the park and wanted to know if you wanted to come." Haruhi said while dragging the boys around her to their feet. "Sorry to barge in, we'll take our leave now." She began to corral the boys, the dazed Tamaki mainly, out the door when Kyouya responded, "I don't mind coming along."

Six heads peered back at him with wide smiles. Haruhi held out her hand and together the group walked out of the Ootori estate.

o0o

~How is already Monday?~ Emi thought as she trudged into school. ~I would have preferred to stay at home if I could.~

Slowly she made her way to her classroom and sat down heavily in her desk. It was still fifteen minutes until school started but she feared if she sat down anywhere else she wouldn't have the energy to move again. Her body was sore and tattooed in bruises and she was worn out both physically and emotionally. She had gotten little sleep since Saturday, restlessness had led her to train for hours all weekend. Her strong response to Kyouya's advances scared her.

~Why is it that I suddenly have feelings for that guy.~ She thought, losing consciousness of reality and slipping into a daydream state. ~He is nosy and arrogant and does the scariest glares with those pretty eyes of his and he is so smart and cunning and confident and wait isn't that the same as arrogant? Wait did I just say he has pretty eyes!? They are most definitely not pretty! They are the worst most vile eyes I have ever se-~

Her internal rant was cut short and she was thrust back into reality when she heard someone clear their throat in front of her. When she focused her eyes on the person standing by her desk she saw the very person that was haunting her thoughts.

"Hello Emi-san," Kyouya said lightly.

"Hello Ootori-san." She replied politely, ~Oh I wish he would just ignore me, that would be so much easier.~

She saw his face tighten slightly at her greeting but relax quickly. He walked up to her desk and sat down in one across from her.

"I told you to call me Kyouya." He said softly, ~Why does he have to bring up that specific event?~

She blushed and looked down at the table, trying to escape his penetrating gaze.

"I did not mean to upset you Saturday." He said lightly.

She did not look up and continued her careful observation of the desktop in front of her,

"I was not upset, not in the way you think I was." Was her steady reply.

"What way should I think you were upset then?" He asked, leaning in slightly,

"I was not upset with your actions, I was just not prepared for them."

"Does that mean you were not opposed to what I did?"

Her eyes widened but still refused to meet his for she feared that if she looked at him now she would not be able to control her actions. She tried to prepare a sentence that would discourage him but he spoke again.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to corner you like that." Kyouya said with a small sigh and looked down,

At that moment Emi saw something in Kyouya that as far as she knew no one alive had ever seen. She saw nothing but a single person, untarnished by a business façade or an overly polite attitude. His responses were real. His words held worth. What sat before her was the very essence of Ootori Kyouya without anything to change or spoil it. The thought that he would reveal himself so completely touched her heart and she felt herself fall even more for him.

"It's fine," She whispered, "Kyouya-san." She looked over at him with a small smile. He raised his eyes to meet hers and she found them to indeed be very beautiful. They were a deep black that she felt she could easily get lost in.

He returned her smile and grabbed her hand in his. Emi's heart leapt and she enjoyed the wave of joy that crashed over her. She wished she could spend eternity in that moment but after a few seconds she forced herself to draw herself away from him.

"But we can't have a relationship. Not like that at least." She murmured.

"Why?" He asked, bordering on angry.

"Do you always need justification for things?" She asked, "Can't you accept something for what it is?"

"I find it is best to know why something can or cannot happen in order to fully understand it." He replied coolly.

"I can't tell you, I would if I could but it is not an option for me." Emi said, tears beginning to prick at her eyes. ~I wish I could, Kyouya, but you would hate me for it.~

"What secret is big enough that you can't allow yourself to even make friends with people?" Kyouya asked sharply, "The entire host club wants nothing more than your happiness but you shut them all out. What is so important?"

"What I do is only to protect you." Emi said as tears spilled over her eyes, "I'm so sorry." Sobs threatened to overtake her as she covered her face with her hands, "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Emi felt a sob creep up from her chest but before it was released a pair of hands shocked it out of existence. Kyouya took both of her hands in one of his and held out his other to hold her chin like he attempted to do the first day they spoke. Unlike the first time, she allowed him to cradle it and brush away a few of her tears.

"Please don't cry." He said gently as he rested his forehead on hers. "If you can't tell me, I'll just have to not know."

Their lips were mere inches apart and Emi stared into Kyoya's eyes with a fierce intensity. Before she could allow herself to think it through she pressed her lips up to his and kissed him. She closed her eyes as an unknown sensation shot through her body. She felt his tongue brush against the outside of her lip and instinctively she opened her mouth. His tongue eased in and after a few seconds of absolute terror she returned the favor. She placed her arms around his neck and pulled him up against her, deepening the kiss further. Kyouya lost one of his hands in her hair while the other reached around to her back and pressed her firmly against his chest. In a moment of passion he pushed her back in her desk and she released a short shriek and romantically threw him off the desk.

"Kyouya!" Emi gasped as she slid off her desk onto the ground next to him. She placed her hands on either side of his motionless form and leaned down by his head to listen to breathing. Instead of steady breathing she heard his rare (and infectious in her opinion) laughter. Within seconds she had joined in on the laughter and they sat on the floor with Emi on top of Kyouya, laughing until the first bell rang. They had pulled each other up into a standing position just as the first student walked into the classroom.

"Out of curiousity, why did you do that?" Kyouya asked, still grinning,

"Oh," Emi said with a faint blush, "I have a bruise on my back and I didn't expect the pain so I panicked."

Kyouya dropped his grin and gave her a puzzled look, "If you don't mind me asking, why do you have so many bruises. And in such odd places?"

Emi looked at him for moment trying to determine what to say. Eventually she sighed in defeat, "I'll tell you after school at club although it's nothing particularly interesting."

Kyouya nodded and smiled down at her again before turning and making his back to his own desk.

~I am so sorry Kyouya.~ She thought as slid into her seat. ~I have broken my number one rule: do not get attached. And now I have not one attachment, but seven.~ Emi watched as Tamaki said something to Kyouya and received a smack over the head for his efforts. ~Despite knowing what might happen I can't help feeling a little selfish. Never in my life have I enjoyed myself so much as I have recently. I fear that I love him and when he discovers the truth that he will break my heart.~ With a sigh she looked outside at her cherry blossom tree. ~Damn it all. Until then I will protect them with my life and love them as I feel fit to.~


	7. Chapter 7

Kyouya found it difficult to keep a smile off his face the entire day but he made an effort anyways. He wouldn't lose his title as the cool type just because he couldn't control his emotions. So instead he replayed the encounter over and over in his mind. Her response had given him more joy than he thought was possible and he didn't want to share it with anyone. His scene on Sunday with the other hosts was enough display of emotion to last a lifetime.

Tamaki remained completely unaware of the change of mood in his friend and when the bell for lunch rang Kyouya was proud of his excellent acting skills. He stood up and looked back to see Emi scrambling to collect her things. ~She must have been daydreaming again.~ He thought with a smile, ~She has a habit of doing that in this class.~

She looked up suddenly and caught him staring. She flashed him a broad smile that took his breath away and he found himself being pulled over towards her. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Tamaki appeared beside him with an air of enthusiasm,

"Emi-san let's go eat lunch! I want to talk about the event on Thursday, won't you eat with us today? It will do Daddy a great honor to eat with you!" He then did a not-so-subtle glance at Kyouya followed by a dramatic eyebrow raise and gesture to Emi that said 'say something to her'.

~Purposely saying nothing to this buffoon has definitely been worth the effort.~ He thought smugly,

Instead of responding to Tamaki he looped his arm through Emi's and exited the classroom with a smirk. Tamaki watched them for a moment, too stunned by Kyouya's actions to move.

Kyouya kept his eyes strictly ahead even when he heard Tamaki's heavy footsteps behind them. Mori stood waiting for Emi as tradition by the classroom and fell into step with the trio as they passed.

Out of the corner of his eye Kyouya saw Emi smile up at Mori and Hani perched on his shoulder. She then slid her gaze up to Kyouya's and tightened her hold on his arm. Kyouya knew in the back of his mind that this parade of hosts would not go unnoticed and that Emi could become a target due to her relationship with the hosts. ~I will have to make her an official part of the club soon or there might be trouble.~

Emi tugged at his sleeve softly and he looked down at her. She gestured for him to stoop down and speak in his ear. He held in a grin as he bent over, amused at her delightfully small size; she only came up to his shoulder.

"I don't want to step on any toes but I believe to avoid conflict I should either be officially admitted into the host club or stop affiliating with you all." She whispered so only he could hear.

~She is so observant.~ He mused,

"Well I know the latter isn't an option so I will see to it that you are announced today." He replied calmly and drew back up to his full height.

He felt her place her head on his shoulder for a moment before releasing her hold on his arm and separating from him as they entered the cafeteria.

Together the group of five entered the lunch line and made their way back to the table the hosts always used with their meal. Haruhi already sat there with the twins on either side harassing her. When she saw Emi standing next to Kyouya she smiled.

Kyouya and Emi sat down together and Tamaki settled down next to Emi. A pleasant silence settled over the group, or as close to silence as possible with Hani inhaling a cake and the twins quietly pestering Haruhi.

"So are you two better now?" The twins asked, breaking the spell of serenity,

Kyouya looked down at Emi and saw that she was looking back up at him. He felt as if with one glance they had an entire conversation. She smiled and turned back to the impatient red heads who were observing the duo from across the table.

"Yes, we are much better." She said calmly,

An evil smile grew on the faces of the two boys and one (Kaoru, he thinks) held up a very familiar piece of parchment. Her sketchbook.

"Is that why..." Hikaru said,

"This is in her-" Kaoru tried to finish as he opened up the book but found it had disappeared from his hands.

Emi frantically closed the book and shoved it back into her book bag before any of the other hosts could catch a glimpse of what was inside.

"Zip it and I'll let you go through my art collection at home." She said seriously, her face flushing slightly.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other for a second, weighing their options, "Deal." They said together.

Emi seemed to deflate in relief before turning all of her attention on her meal, attempting to block out the looks the other people at the table were giving her.

Kyouya slid his hand around her back and onto her waist on the opposite side of him. Startled, Emi looked up at him,

"Hiding something, are we?" He said silkily,

Everyone at the table shook in terror at the sound of Kyouya's voice but Emi returned his gaze with a stubborn one of her own.

"Yep. That sketchbook is private property and no one-" She glared a few daggers at the twins who shrunk away in fear, "has the right to look at it without my permission."

"What if I asked nicely?" Kyouya said teasingly, ignoring the bewildered looks of his friends around him.

She smirked slightly, "You can ask as nicely as you wish, but it will take some *major* persuading to convince me."

"That can be arranged." He replied smoothly, allowing himself to lose his train of thought as he stared into her big eyes.

~How can anyone have such perfectly green eyes?~ It was true, her eyes were unlike ones he had ever seen before. They were such a bright shade of green they appeared to shine and her fair hair only increased their bright luster.

The twins pretended to puke but Haruhi, Mori and Hani looked on at the scene happily. Another wave of solitude fell over the group before it was broken with a small yelp.

Tamaki must have been overwhelmed by the drastic change of events and froze again as Kyouya and Emi flirted. Now that he had returned to his senses he tried to piece together what had happened between the two.

"B-but Mommy you were upset and, and I saw Aunty looking sad this morning," ~Aunty?~ Kyouya glanced down at Emi and saw her eyes dancing in amusement as she watched Tamaki's dramatic performance.

"Plus A-Aunty can't *date* Mommy!" Tamaki nearly screeched before standing abruptly and running around the table to Haruhi. "What sort of example will that be for our lovely daughter?!"

Kyouya felt his irritation increase throughout Tamaki's ridiculous rant and felt a vein begin to pulsate on his forehead. He opened his mouth to correct the blonde rubbing his cheek on the indifferent Haruhi's head when he felt a small hand slip into his.

"I just remembered I have some homework to complete, please excuse me." Emi said,

She gave Kyouya's hand a squeeze and flashed him a comforting smile before standing and departing from the cafeteria.

"At least she didn't disappear on us this time." The twins said in unison.

Kyouya could only nod in agreement and watch her disappear through the cafeteria doors before returning to his meal, allowing his anger to subside.

In the last class of the day, Kyouya had completed all of his assigned work and finally allowed himself to analyze what Emi meant by 'not wanting to hurt anyone' and how she 'wanted to protect him'.

~Could she be associated with a gang? No I already touched base with that idea. Are her parents in politics or part of the Japanese government? That would explain while her files are missing on every database including national websites. But that would usually mean she is already well protected. Why is she independently worried about our safety?~ He sighed softly, ~We have gotten so much closer in a matter of weeks but I still know nothing about you, Emi. When will you let me in?~

o0o

Emi watched Kyouya work on his laptop and sighed in content. The end of the school day was getting closer and she felt a few butterflies flutter in her stomach every time she thought of explaining the bruises to him. ~It really isn't even a big deal. Why am I so worried?~ She thought, ~Because you have never told anyone anything before.~ A small voice whispered inside her head

She looked down at her sketchbook and felt her face soften. She had meant to draw her cherry blossom tree again but Kyouya had infiltrated her thoughts and thus appeared on her paper.

First she sketched her view of him from her seat in the class but it quickly turned more personal after lunch. She was thankful the twins had only found the picture of him working. When she returned from the library her head was still absorbing the forwardness of Kyouya's actions. Subconsciously she found herself drawing closer pictures of his face and eyes. Satisfied with her sketches she closed the book and returned it to her book bag. ~Maybe I should find a way to secure it so the twins don't keep stealing it.~ She began dreaming up all sorts of alarms that would signal her if one of the red heads attempted to nab her book and was dragged from her thought process as someone approached her desk.

Kyouya looked down at her with a small smile playing at his lips, "The bell has rung, Emi."

She stared at him without moving for a moment before releasing an "Oh!" and scrambled to gather her things. In a matter of seconds she was standing next to him and ready to begin their walk to the third music room.

When they arrived she slipped to the back of the room and deposited her bag and turned expectantly towards Kyouya.

He returned her look and raised an eyebrow.

"So..." She started slowly, "What exactly am I too this club?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." He said with a sly grin.

She sighed heavily and sat down on a nearby chair. "Ootori Kyouya you may very well be the death of me."

His smile grew and he turned away from her to join the other hosts.

"Welcome!" She heard them all say as the doors opened and guests filtered in.

She watched with calculated eyes as the hosts broke up and situated themselves in their designated tables or couches. Kyouya, she noticed, did not return to her in the corner table or to his hosting table. Instead he calmly walked into the room at the back and returned with a teacup and spoon.

"Dear princesses, may I please have your attention?" He said with his host voice, clinking the spoon to the cup in order to be heard over the voices of the guests. ~His real voice is much nicer.~ Emi thought cheekily,

"I have an announcement to make." The girls stopped their talking immediately and turned their attention to the host club manager.

"Of the seven hosts before you, six have been entertaining you for two years. Earlier this year, Haruhi joined and added a new type of host to our collection," He paused and produced a bright smile before continuing, "It is my pleasure to introduce a new member of the host club to you today." The room was filled with whispers as the guests contemplated who this new member could be. A few sent glances at Emi and she shivered at the malice that some contained.

"Sugita Emi will be stepping up as the first official female member in the Ouran host club," ~How sneaky of him to put 'official' in there...~ "and assist the club in being our personal art manager and part-time host."

~Wait. What.~

A few girls began to clap and the others followed suit. Kyouya beckoned her over she joined him in the middle of the room and curtsied.

~Oh crap. Why would he make me do this. Isn't introducing me enough?.~ Her social anxiety was making her feel nauseous but she forced herself to stand back up from her bow and face the sea of girls. Staring at her. All those eyes, with no place to hide. ~Keep it together Emi.~

"I look forward to working for you and making the host club the best it has ever been." She said sweetly, observing the ladies in front of her. A majority smiled up at her supportively. She returned the gesture with a smile of her own, forcing the waves of nervousness down, and took note of the familiar faces amongst the crowd.

A few glared at her with a fierce intensity that irked her. ~I guess it would be too much to ask for a one-hundred percent acceptance rate.~ She thought.

After the introduction Emi tried to slip back into her corner to work but many of the girls got up to talk to her. She spent the entire duration of the club chatting with nearly every guest. Everyone wanted to know why she was being accepted as a host. Each time the question was brought up she would try to look as resigned as possible and say that Kyouya had simply needed help with managing the club and offered her the position. By putting the decision in Kyouya's hands she effectively defused the fangirls from questioning it further. The prestigious reputation of Kyouya was not to be trifled with and most of the girls accepted this reasoning wholeheartedly. A few outliers stood a few feet away from the couch Emi sat at and verbally attacked her.

"I bet she slept her way into the club."

"Did you see the way she was hanging onto Kyouya earlier today? No doubt she's a slut."

"Tamaki is always staring at her, she's probably bewitched him somehow."

"I can't believe the first female host is going to be such a tactless cunt."

Emi stoutly ignored the hurtful comments but after the small cluster of girls started saying more threatening things about her and the other hosts, she excused herself from the girls she was currently chatting with to approach them. All anxiety disappeared and instead steel resolve strengthened her. They grew quiet as she neared them.

"I am afraid I heard those things you were saying about me." She said softly, putting every ounce of pain she could muster into her voice. "I apologize if I hurt you all in someway and I wanted to assure you that I accepted the invitation into the club purely out of the desire to work with you, the lovely ladies of Ouran high school." The faces of the malicious girls began to soften. "If there is anything I can do to gain your favor, please tell me for I do not want there to be any ill feelings within the club."

The girls were silent for a minute before one timidly placed her hand on Emi's shoulder, "I'm sorry Sugita-san. It wasn't fair to say those things without getting to know you first." The other girls chimed in with similar remarks and Emi pasted a bright smile on her face.

"It's fine, you are completely forgiven. If you sit down I will be right back with some refreshments." The girls voiced their thanks and Emi walked into the back room. Her smile disappeared the moment she entered and she clenched her fists in rage. She shut her eyes tightly and took a few deep breathes. ~Hold it in until I get home.~

"You're a natural." A voice from behind her said,

She turned and saw Kyouya standing in the doorway with pride in his eyes,

Without a word she stomped over towards and punched him in the shoulder. He expected some sort of retaliation for dropping the news on her like that but her punch really hurt.

"There, now I won't be the only one with bruises." Emi said with a smug grin,

Kyouya rolled his eyes at her, "Do you mind telling me now that I've had time to think about it all day?"

Emi giggled shyly, "I know it was dramatic but," she took a deep breathe to gather her courage, "I don't share personal information with anyone. Even if it is as simple as why I have bruises."

She felt a hand softly grab hers and she looked up to see Kyouya staring back at her. ~He could melt me if he stares too long.~

"I am honored that you are willing to open up to me," He prompted,

"When I told you and Tamaki that I took self-defense lessons in middle school it was a lie." She began slowly, searching Kyouya's face for signs of anger. When she saw none she continued, "I train daily with an elite offensive team and it often leads to me getting pretty beat up. Nothing major of course, I have learned how to get out with just bruises, I haven't broken anything in years."

"You train with an offensive team?" Kyouya asked, "Not a martial art?"

Emi shook her head, "No, I do hand-to-hand combat but in a modern setting. Now I really must get these drinks out to those snobby girls before they start gossiping again." She turned to the cart and quickly filled it with tea, coffee, and cake. As she pushed the trolley to the door Kyouya stopped her.

He took one of her hands and raised it to his lips, placing a chaste kiss to her knuckles. "Thank you." He said before letting go.

Emi gave him a small smile and forced down the blush until after she had exited the room so he wouldn't see.


	8. Chapter 8

The days leading up the racecar event were light and pleasant. Emi was proud of her performance with the snobby girls and due to her acting there were no hostile feelings regarding her acceptance into the host club.

Each day she and Kyouya were able to interact openly without (much) suspicion. Those who got too nosy were given the excuse that they were preparing for the partner project due that Friday. Emi felt she was falling farther and farther in love with Kyouya and, from what she observed of his reactions, he felt the same. Her week was amazing. No hardships in or out of school developed and she felt more at ease with her classmates than ever.

In fact there was hope it would last the entire week but life enjoyed throwing curve balls at her.

She sighed. "Why do I have to wear a uniform."

The twins grinned evilly, "Mommy's orders!" Is all they said before shoving her into the changing room and tossing a package in after her.

"Of course it was Kyouya," She mumbled as she slipped out of her horrifically yellow dress and into the racecar costume. "I should've expected he would do something like this."

She finished zipping the front and turned to see how it looked. The full body suit was mostly black with small cherry blossoms on the side of her legs and arms. On the back where it would normally display the sponsor of a real racecar driver was 'Ouran Host Club' in fancy script. Her suit was trimmed in a soft blue. Emi had designed the costume so each suit resembled each other but had unique characteristics, the main one being a different color trim. Each was a soft shade of a color that she thought reflected the character of the wearer. The twins both had orange, Hani-senpai had pink, Mori-senpai had purple, Tamaki had red, Haruhi had green, and Kyouya had navy.

~Stupid twins. They probably gave me blue on purpose.~ Despite being by herself she felt a flutter of embarrassment and- though she would never admit it- was excited that she matched with Kyouya. Although she designed the outfit, the twins offered to make them. She had not argued because although she had dabbled in sewing she was only a novice in comparison to the two first years.

"Done yet?" She heard Kyouya ask mockingly from the opposite side of the curtain. Slowly she crept over to the curtain and before he could make a sound she grabbed him and pulled him into the changing room. She pinned him against the wall and clapped a hand over his mouth so he didn't make any noise.

"So I heard this was

idea, hm?" She asked in fake anger, standing on her toes so she could get into his face.

His previously shocked eyes relaxed and he pressed back against her. She felt his mouth form a smile under her hand and he gave a short nod.

Suddenly aware of how intimate their position was, Emi tried to pull back but stopped when a hand grabbed her upper thigh and brought her back to him. She gasped and released her hold. In a flash he had switched positions with her and now she was backed up against the wall.

"Trying to be sneaky are we?" He asked huskily in her ear, putting his body flush against her own.

~I might just die right now.~ She felt every ridge in his body due to the close proximity and the thin material of the suit. ~Oh god I hope he doesn't feel my bra, that would be embarrassing. Then again that's probably why he's doing this.~ Her thought process slammed to a stop when she felt his lips lightly trail up her neck.

"Hah, K-Kyouya, wha- whattareya doin?" She breathed, overwhelmed by the sensation he was producing.

She could practically feel his smug smile as he nestled his head into the crook between her neck and shoulder.

"You're so cold to everyone else. Do you just save this creepy side for me?" She asked, gaining her ability to breathe back.

"It didn't sound like you were creeped out a minute ago." He replied haughtily, not moving from his place practically on top of her.

She let out a dramatic sigh but internally relished in his closeness. Ever since the kiss on Monday they had not had a 'moment' as Emi liked to refer to it. They held hands when they were sure no guests would catch them but that had been less of a thrill and more of a chore.

Subconsciously she leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her hands around his broad back.

~Kyouya is pretty fit for a guy that stares at computers all day.~ Through the racecar costume she could feel his muscles and she couldn't help running her hands along them.

He sighed, which tickled, and nudged his head deeper into her hair. She responded with placing a light kiss on his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

She closed her eyes, ~I wish we could stay like this forever.~

"Emi are you done yet?"

"Yah, what's taking so long?"

Emi slipped out of Kyouya's grip and pretended to be staring at herself in the mirror and Kyouya leaned against the wall nonchalantly when the twins entered the changing room.

"I wasn't sure with the fit and I wanted a second opinion." Emi said to answer the twins' questioning looks.

They looked at each other and shrugged before redirecting their attention back to the two second years.

"Tamaki is ready to start." They said calmly before leaving to torture the blonde.

Emi flashed a smile at Kyouya who returned it steadily. They walked out to the courtyard hand-in-hand.

Emi was proud of how the event turned out. She found specific foods that would be served at a racecar event such as funnel cakes and nachos and Ouran-ized them. Instead of greasy commoner food they now looked like gourmet treats and the guests were lapping them up. Tires were scattered around the courtyard and acted as seating. She had even orchestrated a real race car (as Tamaki had requested) to be present so the girls could sit in it with their host of choice.

"It looks good," Kyouya said softly, "For your first time at least."

She laughed lightly and punched him in the shoulder before leaving to greet her guests.

The club time passed quickly. Mid-way through Emi stood to collect refreshments for her guests.

"Excuse me ladies, I will be right back with some tea."

"Oh, allow me Sugita-san!" One of the girls called, rushing to grab the tray before her.

Emi released a polite giggle, "If you say so, my dear," She sat back down and patiently waited.

"Here you go- OH NO!" The girl, in her rush to please Emi, had tripped on her long yellow uniform and sent a wave of tea directly on Emi.

Emi flinched but did not make a noise as the hot liquid burned her through the costume. After a few moments to collect herself she opened her eyes and gave the distressed girl a smile, "It was an accident, don't worry about it. If you all will excuse me I am just going to slip into something more appropriate."

All the girls who had encircled her during the incident stepped back and allowed her to leave.

As Emi left she made eye contact with Kyouya and he cast a questioning glance. She shook her head and smiled to defuse his curiosity before entering the building once again.

She walked into the third music room and continued to the back room. Once she closed the doors she immediately began to strip. Confident no one would bother her while club was still in full swing she stood in the middle of the room with a bra and underwear as she searched for her Ouran uniform. With the scalding uniform off she was finally able to breathe. ~Why are hormone-ridden girls so klutzy?~ She thought.

"There you are!" She said to herself when she found her dress balled up in the corner where she left it. She dragged it back to the center of the room where her shoes were and prepared to enter it.

As she lifted her leg to stick it into the garment the door burst open and there stood an embarrassed Haruhi. Within a second Emi had recovered from her shock and thrown up her soiled racecar costume to block Haruhi's vision. When it fell Emi was no where to be seen.

~Why does it always have to be her?!~ Emi thought madly as she threw on her Ouran uniform in one of the changing rooms. With her poufy dress firmly attached to her body she pushed past the curtain and faced Haruhi.

"I-I, I'm sorry- you scars, are you? What are, how, what has happened to you?" Haruhi stuttered, overwhelmed by the state Emi's body was in.

"You have seen one of my deepest secrets." Emi said coldly, instinct kicking in. "You will never reveal what you have seen. For the safety of yourself and your friends you will forget it and never speak of it again."

Haruhi nodded rapidly with huge eyes.

~I knew this was a mistake. I should never have gotten so close to her.~ Emi thought, her heart being ripped apart inside. She walked over to Haruhi and was hurt when she flinched away when she touched her shoulders. Instead of releasing her, Emi drew her into a warm hug.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi. No one has ever seen me like that and it terrifies me that something could ever happen to you." She whispered, leaning her head on Haruhi's, taking advantage of her superior height. "Please, you are like a sister to me and I just want to keep you safe."

Haruhi's arms encircled Emi's waist and drew her close. "It's okay. I don't know why you can't talk about it but if you ever need to talk to someone, or need a place to stay, I'm always here for you. I know my dad would say the same thing, he's crazy about you."

Emi allowed her words to sooth her hurting heart, ~I wish I could, Haruhi, I wish I could.~ With a squeeze she released Haruhi and held her at arm's length.

"Thank you, that means a lot."

Haruhi smiled at her, "Do you want to stay for dinner after club? My dad is working late but it would be fine with just us two."

"I shouldn't, but thank you." Emi said softly, ~I probably need to break away from her.~

"I asked it like a question but it was more of a command. You're eating dinner with me." Haruhi said stubbornly with a bright smile on her face,

~So cuteee.~ "Eh... Haruhi-"

"I don't want to hear it, my mind is set!" Haruhi cut off,

Emi smiled sadly, "Fine. Then we're going out to dinner, my treat."

Haruhi rolled her eyes, "Well I need to find Tamaki's fake racecar trophy before he goes off his rocker entirely."

Emi giggled and helped her find it before the two girls exited the music room. ~She is so forgiving, so open. How does she do that?"

The remaining club time passed quickly. Before Emi knew it she and Haruhi were racing down the highway in Olivier, blasting music. They dined at a nice (but not too nice otherwise or Haruhi would have protested) sushi restaurant. Haruhi had fancy tuna and Emi took videos of her reaction to the tasty meal.

Emi pulled up to Haruhi's apartment later that night and gave her another hug. "Thank you."

"For what?" Haruhi said,

"Everything, I guess." Emi responded with a smile. "By the way, will you do a favor for me?"

"Sure, what is it?" Haruhi said,

"Take a selfie with me!" Emi responded excitedly, whipping her phone out,

"You are such a girl." Haruhi said straight faced.

"Oh shush." Emi said turning in her seat to get both of their faces in the frame. Just as she was about to take it a voice called out to them.

"Haruhiiiiiiiiii! Emiiiiiiiiiii! Daddy is home!"

Ranka ran over to the car on Haruhi's side and jumped up in down in delight, "My two favorite girls having a date night, how sweeeeet! What are you up to Emi-chan?"

"I was about to take a picture with Haruhi, would you like to be in it?" Emi said happily,

"Oh I don't know..." Ranka said, suddenly self-conscious,

"Pretty please?" Emi said, ignoring Haruhi's giggle.

"Oh I suppose!" Ranka said before leaning down by Haruhi and smiling.

As Emi drove home she recalled the picture. It was only their three faces with no major background. ~Nothing that can be tracked. I'm selfish but I won't put them in any more danger than they need to be.~ When she got home she looked at her new lock screen on her smartphone. The smiling faces made her happy but a wave of sadness extinguished it. ~Eventually this may be all I have of them. I will treasure it.~ She thought darkly. ~My time to disappear gets closer every day I stay with them.~


	9. Chapter 9

Here's the next chapter! I apologize for the wait, I've been having trouble finding time to write and post. I hate letting y'all down so I've decided to change my postings to once a week. Thank you for bearing with me, please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

The day was warm, one of the first warm ones Japan had seen that year. With the promise of summer came the even sweeter promise of summer break.

Kyouya stared out the window of his limousine, calculating the amount of work he could complete before the Host Club dragged him somewhere. His thoughts were ripped away when a loud engine roared past him. He stopped to glare but quickly formed small grin. Olivier was speeding down the highway in the fast lane and inside he could see Emi singing. As quickly as she appeared she had vanished down the road on the way to school.

~I guess I won't have to deal with all the work by myself this summer.~ He thought happily, Emi had been an amazing asset to his sanity and his health. She established a sense of calm and helped him remember little things like eat and sleep.

Ten minutes later Kyouya stepped out of his limousine and jaunted towards his building at a steady pace. When he entered the hallway with his classroom he spotted a familiar blonde turning the corner ahead of him. With another male student.

~Who is that?~ Kyouya thought with mild interest, opting to peek at them. He watched the pair walk down the next hallway and then the tall, black-haired boy grabbed Emi's waist and pulled her into another more secluded hallway.

~What the hell? Who does this guy think he is? Why is she letting him touch her?~ Kyouya's mind went into overdrive but he forced his jealousy down and crept over to the hall they just disappeared down. This could all be a misunderstanding and he knew Emi would be upset if he interrupted something.

"Well, Sugita-san... I-I've been wanting tell you for a long t-time now but. Well. I love you." A baritone voice said.

Kyouya froze up, his heart seemed to stop and his blood ran cold. But then he relaxed, ~It's just an everyday confession. I shouldn't be worried about anything. Right?~

The air was still and completely quiet for five seconds.

He heard Emi take a breathe, "Kato-san," She started,

~It's the track captain? One of the most sought after men of the school besides the hosts?~ Kyouya thought in disbelief,

"Thank you for being so honest but I fear I must decline." Emi continued,

"Why." Came the gruff response. Kyouya paused, that wasn't the normal gentlemanly charisma that Kato Yuki possessed.

"I don't have the same feelings for you Kato-san. I hardly know you in all honesty. I'm sorry, I don't wish you any ill-will." Emi said genuinely.

Kyouya heard light footsteps and assumed Emi was walking towards him so he stepped back and tried to act nonchalant when she turned the corner. But she never appeared. Instead he heard a snarl from the hallway.

"You think you can flaunt around like that and break my heart you little slut," Yuki said in a whisper that Kyouya barely caught. "If you don't want me willingly then I'll make you."

Kyouya decided to intervene. Calmly he stepped into the hallway, head held high. "Kato-san, I would suggest you put Sugita-san down before I have to alarm the campus police."

Yuki had Emi pushed against the wall at the shoulders, his body fully pressed against hers and her feet dangling off the floor by a foot.

Kyouya was surprised to see that not only did she seem unafraid, but she looked bored.

"Kyouya, dear, would you please move back a few feet?" Emi called lightly towards him before Yuki could answer.

Confused at the command and the nickname he did as he was told, watching warily with his finger on the speed dial to campus police.

Emi turned towards Yuki, their faces only a breath apart.

"You disgust me." She annunciated clearly before head butting his nose, effectively breaking it.

With a cry Yuki released her and she slipped out from beneath him. In one fluid motion she grabbed him from behind,twisted, and launched him into the opposite wall where he slid to the ground with a thud, out cold.

She wiped her hands on her shirt before pulling out her cell phone and began typing.

Kyouya stood in shock. This small, no more than 110 pound girl just through a monster well over 250 pounds across the hall and into the opposing wall. It was impossible but he saw it with his own eyes.

The person Emi was calling picked up and she started babbling away in a foreign language that was strange to Kyouya. After a few seconds she snapped it shut, picked up her school bag from the floor a few feet away and walked towards him.

With a shy smile she took his hand and lead him away from the scene, "How did you do that?" Kyouya asked.

"I told you, I practice every day with an modern offense group." She said, dragging him to their class. Outside the door she stopped and released his hands, he silently mourned the loss of touch.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." She said quietly, avoiding his gaze, "I was hoping you would never have to see that side of me."

He glanced around quickly, determining if the coast was clear before reaching out and cradling her face in both of his hands. "You don't have to be sorry for anything. That was amazing and he deserved much worse for what he planned to do."

She looked up at him, adoration shining in her eyes. "Thank you Kyouya-san." She whispered, then pressed a light kiss to his lips and pulled away.

Kyouya smiled down at her. ~She is so cute.~

"Before he talked to me I was getting the presentation ready, want to see it?" She gushed, opening the class door and hurrying in. He chuckled and followed.

o0o

Kyouya had been impressed with Emi's presentation. The colossal poster was well over four feet tall and encrusted in decorations while simultaneously displaying information seamlessly. He couldn't have changed anything to increase its value.

After giving the poster board a once over, the pair sat down and walked through their speeches and settled into their seats for class. Emi proved to be much more nervous than he anticipated.

"I don't like speaking in front of crowds..." She mumbled,

"I'll be right next to you the whole time." He promised, and he did.

When the time came they stood and demonstrated the epitome of a perfect presentation. The research was excellent, the poster was informational and both partners spoke clearly and effectively. Kyouya finished the presentation with a solid conclusion and looked at Emi who had relief showing brightly on her face.

After the applause Kyouya sat down feeling very accomplished. He turned around and grinned and Emi responded with an even brighter smile.

~Hold out until lunch, then you can talk to her.~ He had recently found it harder to maintain his 'cool' personality in public with Emi. She had pulled down all of his walls before they had even started dating so it was no surprise she was still doing it subconsciously.

~Wait. We

dating, right?~ He thought, ~We never labeled it but we have romantic relations so that would leave the average person to believe us to be a couple. Is she worrying about this too?~ His mind was going a mile a minute and only when the lunch bell rang did his rational side snap to attention.

~I'm overthinking this. I'll ask her to dinner tonight as my girlfriend and then we will officially be dating. End of story.~

Satisfied with his outcome Kyouya hopped up from his seat and sauntered over to Emi.

She was smiling out the window, lost in thought again. He allowed a smile small to grace his lips as he approached her desk. When he was a few feet away her eyes flicked towards him and she beamed.

He took in the beautiful sight of the smiling girl and his eyes trailed down to her desk. Her sketchbook was out and open to a page. He stepped closer to get a better look at the pictures on it by Emi slapped her hand over it and tried to shove it in her bag.

Confused but determined Kyouya walked over to her and placed a hand on the arm with the book.

"You allow the twins to see your art but not me?" He asked, allowing a bit of sadness into his voice that he wasn't sure was insincere or not. He was right in front of her, a matter of inches away from being flush against her.

She looked at him, her face beginning to glow a faint pink, "My finished art, not my personal sketches." She said but her voice wavered.

He didn't respond, choosing to plead silently.

"No." She said,

He still didn't say anything, instead he inched forward and crept his hand down her arm to the book. His dark eyes never left hers.

She opened her mouth to reprimand him again but she couldn't find the words. When his fingers settled on the spine of the book she finally spoke up.

"This is my equivalent of a diary and if you saw what was in here I might die of embarrassment."

"I want to see and of I don't get a peek I will set the twins on you." He replied with a smirk,

Her eyes narrowed and she looked down,

"Stupid boy doesn't understand privacy..." She grumbled,

"What was that?" Kyouya asked, stooping down to her level, a sickly sweet smile on his face.

She glared at him for a moment, "Fine. But not now. You may want to check your surroundings before you interrogate someone." She pulled away and finally tucked her remaining materials in her bag.

Kyouya glanced around and noticed that several girls were by the door, no doubt having watched the entire encounter. Some of them were thankfully ogling over Tamaki who was waiting for the two remaining hosts.

With a rigid back he walked behind Emi and they exited the room. The girls whispered amongst each other as they passed and he heard a few harsh jibes against Emi.

He heard Emi sigh and he looked at her. She caught his eye and gave him a smile, albeit forced.

"I'm used to it." She said lightly, turning her eyes back on the path to the cafeteria.

"That doesn't make it okay." He replied. A little harsher than he intended,

"As you saw today I get confessed to a lot. A lot of girls think I do it because I'm... Well as they say, a slut." She peeked up at him but he kept his face emotionless.

"I try my best to be nice to everyone but since I never answer personal questions I don't have many friends. Until the host club at least." She continued, "I don't enjoy the attention, if anything it makes me really anxious but I always have some guy confessing to me."

Kyouya forced his bitter feelings down and grabbed her hand.

"I don't know why they bother in the first place. I don't even know them! Any of them!" Emi said, her voice steadily growing more heated. Her hand started crushing his and he struggled to remain composed.

"I've never met most of those guys and I don't even know the names of any of those girls!" She said, her voice dripping with venom.

Kyouya opened his mouth to speak but as quickly as the anger appeared she grew somber.

She slipped her hand from his and hung her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say all of that."

"Hey," Kyouya said softly, grabbing her hand again despite the bruising she had given him. "Thank you for telling me. If you want we can end one of your problems."

Emi looked up at him, curiosity shining through her eyes.

"We can make our relationship official, the boys will stop bothering you and the girls will know not to mess with you. I'll protect you."

Emi laughed bitterly and shook her head. Quickly she pulled him out of the main hall into a more secluded one.

"There are a couple reasons why that isn't a good idea." She said, grabbing his other hand.

"First of all there is a very high probability that boys will continue to throw themselves at me, just in a sneakier way so as not to draw attention from you." Her eyes glowed with passion as she looked up at him.

"Second, those girls will go insane when they find out you are with someone. No host has ever dated anyone before and that could lead to an all out war against me and amongst themselves." She drew his hands up to her face and kissed each one lightly.

"And finally, I don't need protecting, you should know that already. If anything I would have to protect you from being kidnapped by some hormonal teenager with too much money and not enough brains."

Kyouya chuckled and rested his forehead on hers.

"Why did I choose the one person in this school that could outwit me." He said quietly,

She giggled, "Don't think of it as a test of wit but more like... An extension of knowledge. I'm here to make sure you don't mess up."

Kyouya opened his eyes, "If that's true then I should be allowed to see your sketches."

Emi huffed and drew away from him.

"Fine, but just know that I hate you for it and don't mock me when you see them." She teased, opening her school bag.

"Deal." Kyouya replied happily,

She held the book and slowly handed it to him, her face tight with what he could only describe as terror.

He cast her a questioning look and opened the front cover.

The first couple pages were mainly flowers and trees. Every now and then the window in the library she was so fond of appeared. At the top of each page was a date. These pictures were from the beginning of the semester, before the history project was assigned.

Finally he turned a page and paused. Inside the book he was staring at himself. He was reading something in a desk. It was as if Emi had taken a picture of him and gone over the lines with pencil. The resemblance was unbelievable. He turned the next page and saw his face this time, closer and with more detail. The date on the pages was less than a month ago.

~So she had felt something for me the same time had feelings for her.~ He thought smugly, his pride restored.

He flipped through the last couple pages and landed on the page dated today.

Unlike the others this one was sketched with color. He stared in awe at the talent expressed on the page. In colored pencil Emi had drawn him smiling. Each line was perfect in shape and width, creating a scene closer to a picture than a drawing.

Eyes wide he raised his head to look at Emi and found she had covered her face. He could see the bright red skin through her fingers and was amused to see even her ears were flushed. Chuckling he wrapped his arms around her smaller frame and pulled her up against his chest. She flinched and drew back slightly.

"Bruise?" He asked,

She nodded and snuggled back into his chest. Tentatively he put his arms around her again and loosely held her.

"You're amazing." He whispered in her ear,

She mumbled something in return but he couldn't hear her from her place nestled in his chest. He pulled back and asked what she said.

She looked up at him, and quickly side-to-side to check for observers, then kissed him on the lips.

"Never mind." She said after breaking away, "We should get to the cafeteria before they send a police force after us."

He only nodded in agreement, still dazed from her kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry this chapter is so late! I was backpacking (with no service, obviously) then I had surgery but now I'm back. Here's an extra long chapter for you guys, please enjoy!

* * *

It was halfway through the lunch period by the time Emi and Kyouya made it to the cafeteria. Emi shied away from the strange looks many students were giving her.

Kyouya looked indifferent and even flashed a few host smiles much to Emi's dismay.

After grabbing lunch the duo sat down at the Host lunch table and dug in.

"Sooooooo..." Kaoru started,

"What were you guys doing half of lunch?" Hikaru finished and both boys flashed a mischievous grin.

"Critiquing our presentation from history." Kyouya answered calmly, not even batting an eyelash at the Twins' curiosity.

"But Mommy your presentation was perfect! And Auntie that poster was amazing!" Tamaki said dramatically,

"If you want to be successful in business you have to criticize everything, especially your successes." Emi added, relieved that Kyouya had such a good excuse.

Tamaki grumbled something before returning his attention to Haruhi.

"By the way Emi, you still owe us a tour of your art collection." Hikaru said, another sly grin growing on his face.

"You wouldn't want your little secret out, would you?" Koaru added,

Emi froze for a moment, her mind racing trying determine what they were talking about.

~Oh! They saw my first sketch of Kyouya, that's right.~

She glanced up at Kyouya and saw that although he wasn't looking at her, a smug grin hung on his lips.

Emi felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly in remembrance of the recent hallway scene and turned back to the eager red heads.

"He already knows and if you spill to anyone you will never see another piece of my art ever again." She quipped happily,

Their mouths dropped and they grumbled something under their breath,

"What was that?" Kyouya asked, his glasses flashed and everyone at the table jumped a bit.

"D-deal." The twins stammered, clutching each other in fear.

"I'll bring something Monday, what medium do you want?" Emi said with a warm smile that reversed the threatening glance that Kyouya had just given.

"Oil paint!" They crowed loudly, before erupting into a long babble regarding their request.

Emi listened intently and eventually pulled out a piece of paper to take notes. Haruhi slipped her a pen before she even asked.

By the end of lunch Emi had a list of details from the twins and had not even touched her food.

"You need to eat." Haruhi said stubbornly, "You can't pay attention in class on an empty stomach."

Emi sighed and took a bite of a roll before dumping her tray into the trash.

"Satisfied?" She asked,

"No." Haruhi retorted and began digging through her bag. After a few seconds she pulled out a granola bar and handed it to Emi.

"I always have a couple snacks handy, if you need more just tell me."

"I want snacks from Haruhiiiiii!" Three voices rang out and Haruhi was grabbed by Tamaki, Kaoru, and Hikaru.

Emi made a move to help her but Mori had already plucked her from their grasps and placed her behind him.

Satisfied with Mori's actions, Emi slipped around him and looped arms with Haruhi.

"Thank you, I will eat it right away." She said, pulling her away from the crowd of hormonal boys. When they had reached a safe distance (about fifty yards) down a hallway away from the other hosts Emi leaned over to Haruhi.

"By the way, Mori is awfully protective of you, do you think he likes you?" Emi whispered,

"You're such a girl." Haruhi responded in her traditional indifferent tone but Emi spotted the faint glow of red on her ears.

Forcing a snicker down she squeezed Haruhi's arm closer then began to pull away.

"Wait, can you come over for dinner tonight?" Haruhi asked,

~As if I have a choice.~ Emi thought.

She opened her mouth to answer but was cut off harshly,

"I want to eat at Haruhi's! Why don't you ever invite Daddy over?" A voice whined from behind them.

Haruhi and Emi deadpanned. Slowly they turned around and saw the entire host club shushing Tamaki as they attempted to hide around the corner. Mori stood off to the side, not trying to conceal himself, and shrugged at the girls questioning glances.

Kyouya stood up and walked over to the irritated hostesses, "I fear Emi is not available tonight."

"I'm not?" Emi asked,

"No, we are dining together."

"Good to know. Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"No."

"Fine. We're taking Olivier then."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow, "Why do you refuse to ride in a limo?"

"I enjoy independence. Plus you would have to drive me back to school to pick Olivier up which is just a headache." Emi replied steadily,

Kyouya sighed, "Okay, we should head to class. I don't want to hack the attendance the list again."

Emi shook her head chuckling and turned back to Haruhi.

"See you at club." She said, finally letting go of her arm,

"Eat your bar." Haruhi replied in a tone that Emi could only describe as motherly.

The day dragged along slowly but uneventfully. Club continued on in the same theme. By the time the guests left all of the hosts were exhausted.

"Why are Friday's so long." Kaoru whined,

Emi was too wrapped up in how cute Hani was while sleeping that she hadn't moved in half an hour. Haruhi had not allowed her to help with distributing refreshments until she was forced to get more instant coffee but once she returned Emi was commanded to return to her couch. Now that club was over Haruhi still refused Emi's request to help. Rather than argue, Emi conceded, knowing that she wouldn't get through Haruhi's stubborn nature.

~She's so overprotective. Shouldn't it be the other way around?~ Emi thought,

"Why is Haruhi being so nice to you?" Hikaru asked from across the room,

"Haru-chan has been so careful around you Emi, are you okay?" Hani asked sleepily, rousing from his nap and crawled into Emi's lap to snuggle.

Emi, now used to the host's behavior, sighed and started running fingers through Hani's hair.

"I don't know." She lied,

~I can't exactly tell them that she saw how busted up I am and now thinks I'm some fragile piece of art.~

She spotted Kyouya eyeing her but brushed it off.

"Did something happen?" Kaoru asked,

"Not that I know of."

Mori gave her a questioning look and she shrugged in reply.

"Our reservation is soon, let's go." Kyouya said stiffly from behind her,

~What's his problem?~

Emi extracted herself from Hani and gathered her things.

"Bye Haruhi, don't work too hard!" Emi called as she exited the room.

Kyouya followed after and the pair walked to the student parking lot in tense silence.

Emi unlocked the car and settled in her seat before confronting him,

"What's wrong?" She said softly,

Kyouya turned his stormy eyes from his phone to her then looked away,

"To avoid future problems in this relationship I assume it is best to be open with... *feelings*" Kyouya said, practically spitting the last word out.

Emi nodded slowly, confused with his weird actions.

"I prefer if you don't act intimate with others." Kyouya blurted out, refusing to meet her eyes.

~Oh god.~ Emi started feeling a laugh bloom in her chest. ~Hold it in!~ She felt her face pucker and redden in effort to control herself.

After a few seconds she had to let it out. She laughed so loud that Kyouya visually jumped and she kept laughing until her sides were sore and tears had formed in her eyes. Kyouya stared at her with an irritated look on his face, not commenting on her outburst.

When she controlled her breathing Emi reached over and grabbed his collar, pulling him into a kiss.

After a few seconds she release him, "I never knew you were the jealous type." She said before taking his phone with the GPS set up and started driving.

Kyouya didn't reply but took one of her hands in his.

The restaurant was an upper class italian diner equipped with private rooms. Emi was wary of the set up initially but after noticing all of the Ootori private police lurking around she relaxed.

Dinner was pleasant, the pair chatted and laughed, releasing all outside stresses and instead choosing to relish in each other's company. Before Emi knew it two hours had passed and the sky was darkening.

"There's a park around the corner, care for a walk?" Kyouya asked,

~Secluded area open to the public with many potential threats? I shouldn't.~ Emi thought but allowed Kyouya to grab her hand and lead her out of the eatery.

The orange sky was slipping into a sleepy purple when they reached the park. They walked in silence for a few minutes before stopping at a metal bench and resting.

"I never asked officially, and I'm sorry for that, but will you be my girlfriend?" He asked suddenly, leaning back and staring at the changing sky.

His thumb was rubbing circles on the back of her hand which to many would be very soothing.

Emi was far from soothed. Her mind was going a mile a minute attempting to comprehend and form a coherent reply to his question.

~You have to tell him no. It's what's best for him. And hey, if you play it right you might still be able to have whatever *this* is. Wait. I can't do that! That's so selfish, we aren't friends with benefits! He obviously has feelings invested in this and, sadly so do I.~ She thought,

"Yes, of course I will." She said automatically,

~Idiot you were supposed to say no!~

But she couldn't continue internally berating herself because Kyouya had pressed his lips to hers. His touch made the world slip away and the only thing going through her mind was the spark created by his skin on hers.

The sky was deep navy with only a sliver of pink and stars began to appear, shining like diamonds down on the couple. Wind whispered through the trees and leaves licked the path running by the bench. In the darkness on a hill the two students sat locked in each other's embrace, so focused on each other that only when the park lights came on did they remember where they were.

Kyouya drew away first, finally breaking the kiss and panting lightly,

"Shall we?" He asked as he stood and offered his arm.

"We shall."

Oooooooooooooooo

Kyouya was buried deep underneath pillows and blankets when his bedroom door opened. The beam of light did not affect his slumber, nor did the muffled sound of voices.

A light laugh managed to penetrate his unconscious state and he turned over in his bed.

"Kyouyaaaaa," An angel sang out and he almost convinced himself to open his eyes. Almost.

The sheets were pulled away slightly and he growled and pulled them back. A giggle was his reply. The area by his stomach was suddenly warm, really warm. He reached out and grabbed the warmth, wrapping himself around it.

Faintly he heard intake of breath but he was already falling back into REM. A hard knock on the head drew him back into consciousness in a heart beat.

"Who dares wake me." Kyouya says gravely, black aura beginning to emanate around him.

"You really are a horrible morning person. Here's your glasses drama queen." He felt his glasses being pushed on his face and blinked to clear his vision.

He became aware of his surroundings and felt his cheeks heat up. Emi was sitting in his bed staring down at him but that wasn't the bad part. He had entangled his legs with hers and burrowed his head into her lap where he still remained.

"And what's with the 'Who dares wake me?' thing? Are you a cartoon villain or something?"

Overwhelmed with her closeness he tried to push away from her and gain some space but instead of managed to fall off his bed.

With a scowl he hauled himself up to the edge of his bed and paused to regain control of his rapid heart rate.

Emi sat laughing at his demise,

"Not the best wake up call Emi." Kyouya gritted out,

Emi stopped laughing and crawled over to him and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Better, Kyouya?" She asked,

"Better." He murmured, his heartbeat spiking again,

~It feels good to call each other by our first names, without honorifics.~ He thought.

Last night as Emi dropped him off at his house after their first date she had called him Kyouya without the -san, "just to try it out" as she put it. He replied in kind and somehow they had reached new level of intimacy without consciously trying. That night Kyouya had trouble sleeping because he couldn't rid his mind of her and their official relationship. As a result he was sleep deprived and was planning on sleeping well into the afternoon.

"You had plenty of beauty sleep, it's ten o'clock so let's get to work." Emi said cheerfully, hopping off his bed to grab her backpack.

Kyouya grumbled and dragged himself to his dresser where he grabbed a soft v-neck and shorts. He turned back to his girlfriend ~It feels so good to call her that~ to find her immersed in a textbook. She was laying on a couch next to his desk wearing a baggy long sleeve shirt with lace trim and leggings.

"You realize it's May, right?" Kyouya said as he settled down in his desk,

Emi didn't even bother looking up from her book, "I like long sleeve shirts, I get cold easy."

He stared at her for a second, unconvinced.

She sighed dramatically and turned over, "I don't make fun of your suits, don't make fun of my long sleeves."

"I'm not wearing a suit."

"Not currently but if we went out you would."

"We've never gone out on a weekend, how would you know?"

She pouted for a second, "I just assumed, especially because your closet is *only* suits." She gave a pointed look to his slightly ajar closet which, as she said, was filled with only suits.

"I have other furniture you know." Kyouya said plainly, "Plus I am currently wearing lounge attire."

"Fineeeeee," she dragged out, "You win. But to prove it you have to take me out on a weekend." She grinned widely, pleased with her outcome.

"Finish your homework and maybe I will." He replied with a smug,

She giggled and turned back around.

Three hours later and Emi shut her last book. Kyouya had finished his school work and moved on to business a while back, enjoying the feeling of content that Emi brought him.

"We have the semester vocab test next week, want to study?" Emi asked,

Kyouya finished his email then turned to her with a mischievous grin on his face,

"Only if we play a game."

Emi gave him a confused look but agreed.

Kyouya led her over to the bed and sat down.

"If you answer correctly, you get a prize. If you answer wrong I get a prize and vice versa." He said,

Emi laughed and folded her feet under her, "You're so weird when we're alone."

Kyouya smirked and said the first word. Emi got it correct so he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She blushed before saying a tough vocabulary for Kyouya to answer.

~Going for the hard ones, I see,~ Kyouya thought as he recited the definition and spelling, ~Two can play at that game.~

He replied in kind with another complicated word.

She answered correct again with a smirk.

Kyouya answered his second word correct again and as Emi leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek he held up his hand.

"My prize, my choice."

Emi rolled her eyes but didn't protest when he beckoned her over to him. She settled down in his lap and Kyouya curled in around her. Now that he held her he realized just how small she was in comparison to him. Sure, she was taller than Haruhi but her form was slender and thin. Despite her small frame he could feel the wiry muscles through her shirt and knew she was much stronger than she appeared.

~We're a perfect fit.~ He thought as he rested his head on her shoulder comfortably.

"You better not cheat." Emi warned, a ribbon of red appearing on her cheeks and moving up to her ears.

"I won't." He mumbled in her ear.

He asked her another difficult word and instead of an immediate reply the room filled with silence.

"Well?" He asked after a few moments,

"Uhhhh I don't know, what is it."

He smirked and gave her the answer. "Now for *my* prize." He purred into her ear, moving his hands under her shirt.

"I am dating a gentleman and if he is replaced with a pig I will leave." Emi said sharply,

"I'll be gentlemanly." Kyouya said, keeping his hands under her ribcage. They trailed around her stomach and to her back. The soft, warm, skin suddenly gave way to something hard and rough. Surprised, he trailed his fingertips around it lightly,

~It's a scar.~

No sooner had the thought passed through his head did he find himself falling off his bed for the second time that day. He sat up and saw Emi scrambling to her feet,

"I'm so sorry, I just, I don't know what came over me. I-I should go." She made a break for the door,

~I will not let this happen again.~

As she reached for door he clamped his hand firmly on her wrist.

"I didn't mean to scare you." He said, tugging on her arm lightly and pulling her into a hug. "But I need you to let me in. You aren't alone anymore, you can tell me anything. I promise."

Her arms tentatively wrapped around his back and clutched onto his shirt,

"I don't know how." She whispered,

He led her back to the bed and sat down. She refused to meet his eyes and stared at her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"Emi," he said, but received no response,

"Emi look at me." He tried again, again she didn't move. Thoroughly frustrated he thought he might as well get his message across.

In one fluid movement he had pushed her on her back and crouched over her, staring into her eyes.

"I don't usually push for answers but I will not allow you to hurt yourself on my behalf." He said darkly.

He was surprised to find her completely content with her situation and staring back at him with lifeless eyes.

~I guess normally I wouldn't be able to do this...~ Kyouya thought, remembering her display of strength with Kato-san the day before.

"I'm sorry Kyouya." Emi said sullenly,

Instead of responding Kyouya grabbed her hands and pressed them into the bed and launched himself into a passionate kiss. He was completely on top of her and using his weight and position against her. After a few seconds of reluctance she began responding to his touch. A few minutes passed before Kyouya pulled back so they could breathe.

"Please." He said, surprising himself with how weak he sounded, "You are too precious to me."

Emi looked at him for a second, studying his face. She pulled one of her hands out of his and cupped his face.

Her eyes showed fear now, but not the kind he was expecting. She wasn't scared of him, she was scared *for* him.

"Everyone has a dark past." She whispered, rubbing her thumb on his cheek. "I try not to bring mine up, it's easier for everyone."

He closed his eyes and propped himself on one arm, pressing his hand over hers on his cheek.

"I can't pretend to understand but I'm always here. Always, Emi."

"Kyouya, I lo-"

"MOMMYYYYYY!"


	11. Chapter 11

The door slammed open and six bodies began walking in the room and froze.

The twins snickered and Haruhi just stared with a judgemental look on her face and a tinge of red on her ears.

"Emi-chan?" Hani asked, sweetly but externally he looked prepared to attack Kyouya.

Kyouya leapt up and began giving an explanation with a completely straight face.

Any other time Emi would be impressed but she would think about his acting ability later.

~I was about to confess to him? Me? How far gone am I?!~

She couldn't even think about being embarrassed she was too focused on what she was about to do and how genuine it felt.

~I love him. I love him more than anything. It's only been a month Emi are you crazy?!~

Finally her cheeks warmed up and she forced herself back into reality.

Tamaki had been reanimated and was going full daddy mode on Kyouya who stood there emotionless. Through the shrieking she gathered that he wanted to go to the aquarium and that "auntie and mommy shouldn't be doing that sort of thing".

"The aquarium sounds like a great idea." Emi said, sitting up in the bed and emanating every piece of authority available in attempt to calm the room.

Thankfully it worked and before Emi knew it she was being shoved into a limo.

"W-wait! I'll drive myself!" She yelled, jumping away from the automobile like it was fire.

Everyone gave her a funny look,

"You don't want to be with us?" Hani asked sadly, using his puppy eyes.

"I don't like other people driving. I'll meet you there."

"I'll come with you." Haruhi said, squirming out of the twins grasp.

"We want to comeeee!" The twins, Tamaki, and Hani whined. Mori grunted in a agreement which gave Emi an idea.

"Fine, the seniors ride with us to the aquarium and everyone else can ride with us back."

They all agreed enthusiastically and didn't stop to think that they wouldn't need a ride back to Kyouya's house.

Emi giggled as she entered the car and Haruhi joined in when she realized Emi's trick.

"Those knuckleheads." Emi said, settling down in her seat and buckling up. "Hani-senpai do you want to sit in the front with me?"

Haruhi gave her a questioning look but moved to the back when Hani agreed.

The ride was pleasant and relatively quiet. Emi had shared a knowing look with Hani that communicated to her that he approved of the pair in the backseat.

~Glad I'm not the only one who noticed Haruhi and Mori would be a good match.~

The aquarium was entertaining, Emi walked with Kyouya and Haruhi (when she wasn't being pulled around by other members) and enjoyed the various forms of aquatic life.

~I'm glad nobody messes with me like that.~ She thought as she watched Tamaki point out every fish he saw to the obviously annoyed Haruhi.

Emi stopped to take some pictures of the fish for future sketches and Mori offered to take her backpack. She agreed offhandedly and allowed her artistic side to make an appearance.

She felt Kyouya entwine his fingers in hers after a few minutes and she couldn't help the smile grow on her face.

As the group entered one of the last sections of the aquarium, Kyouya pulled her over to the aquatic plant area.

Emi was drawn to the wide range of gorgeous fresh water flowers. She pressed herself up against the glass and stared in awe, oblivious to the fact that she and Kyouya were completely alone.

His hands rested on her hips and turned her around. She saw a flash of his dark grey eyes before he kissed her softly. Her arms wrapped around his neck instinctively and she felt him press her into the glass wall.

"Kyouya," she breathed in between the light kisses, "We're in public."

He drew back enough to allow them to breathe but rested his forehead on hers.

"I love you Emi." He whispered,

She froze. ~Oh my god. Oh. My. God. He-he

me?~ Her heart felt like it would break through her rib cage. An unusual aching filled her chest and her stomach was doing back flips.

She stared at him with her mouth open, eyes wide, in complete shock by his sudden confession.

He laughed lightly and planted a kiss on her nose then pulled her into a hug.

"You're so cute."

Emi felt her cheeks heat up and seemed to lose control of her rational mind. She freed herself from the embrace, grabbed his face and threw herself into a passionate kiss that left them both breathless.

"I love you too." She said, planting butterfly kisses on his face.

He gave her one more lingering kiss on the lips before grabbing her hand and leading her back to the main area.

~Good thing we were so isolated, that would be hard to explain~ She thought, suddenly embarrassed.

She spotted Mori still carrying her backpack by the stingray exhibit with Hani and made her way over.

"Hey Mori-senpai can I have my backpack back? I didn't mean for you to carry it so long." She said,

"Why did you bring it with you Emi-chan?" Hani asked as Mori took it from his shoulders and started handing to her.

Emi opened her mouth to answer but noticed how stiff Mori was. He had frozen, holding her backpack in one hand in the process of returning it. A strange aura came off of him that Emi could only describe as... threatened.

She snapped to attention.

~Oh shit.~

She grabbed his arm and started dragging him across the room. Hani and Kyouya trailed after them, confused, and the rest of the club stared at them.

"Go away. We need to talk in private." She said with a glare that stopped the two boys in their tracks.

Mori was still tense but allowed Emi to pull him around the corner and into an empty room. The room was dusty and full of tables with no trace of recent human activity. It appeared to be an abandoned break room but Emi had more important things to worry about.

"You weren't supposed to know about that." She said stonily, all trace of the sweet girl gone.

He gave her a questioning look, the bag still in his grasp. "This is dangerous." He said,

~What do you know, he spoke.~

"I have it for a reason." She quipped in return,

He shook his head as if that reason didn't justify.

"My presence has lead to multiple tragedies and I will not let another one happen." She added, trying to ease the seniors defensive nature.

Her words seemed to affect him because he softened his stance and he replaced the threatening aura with one similar to protectiveness. He put his hand on her head for a second then slowly held out the bag.

"I take every precaution." She promised as she opened the bag to check on the small handgun inside. It had fallen out of its special compartment and she carefully returned it.

He nodded, "I won't ask why, but don't let the others know."

It struck her then that Mori must have gone through a lot to accept this situation so easily. Guns are hard to come by in Japan so owning one, let alone carrying one, is rare.

She put the straps of the backpack on her shoulders and pulled the tall boy into a hug.

"Thank you, Mori-senpai."

He returned the hug tentatively, as if worried about breaking her.

A sharp intake of breath forced them apart. Standing at the door was a young girl who stared at the pair with shock in her eyes.

"You are dating! How could you!" She yelled before bolting away.

"Um... Who was that?" Emi asked, still dazed from Mori's acceptance.

Mori looked down at her with worry in his eyes, "A guest."

~Well this is better than someone seeing the gun at least.~ Emi thought, exasperated,

"Oh well, I'll tell Kyouya that you found a tampon or something then some chick caught us hugging when I thanked you for not embarrassing me." Emi said,

Mori's eyes bugged out a moment then he turned and stared at her in horror,

Emi laughed, "Okay I'll just hint that I was worried you found it, don't worry so much!"

She gave him a punch in the shoulder and floated out of the room to find her boyfriend.

~I don't know if I'll ever get used to calling him that.~ She thought giddily,

She found the bespectacled teen near the exit waiting for the rest of the hosts to finish staring at the jellyfish display. She quickly explained her story and was surprised with how defensive Kyouya got.

~I always forget he is the jealous type.~ She thought, watching him eye Mori from across the room.

She rolled her eyes and looped arms with him. He still refused to look away from his new enemy. Determined to gain his attention she rose to her tiptoes and quickly placed a kiss on his cheek.

He whipped his head down and stared at her.

"What?"

"I've rethought your offer."

He furrowed his eyebrows, obviously confused.

"I think you're right, it's time we announce being a couple."

He visibly relaxed and smiled. "I'll begin preparing right away."

"Wait, what are you preparing for?"

He grinned his signature malicious smile, "You'll see."

"Hell no, tell me or I'll do it my way." She said stubbornly despite a sweet smile playing on her lips.

He sighed and entwined his fingers in hers,

"Fine, I plan on hosting a ball and in the end we'll announce it."

"I disapprove. Although it will increase profits it's wrong to mess with girls hearts after they've danced with you. If we host a ball it should be after we have announced us."

Kyouya thought for a moment. "If we do it that way there is chance the ball will be boycotted. But then again we may gain admirers that increase profit despite the loss of a few guests…" Kyouya nodded, "Okay, we'll do it your way."

Emi grinned and kissed him on the cheek again, too wrapped up in her own world to notice the bewildered looks of the hosts around them.

"Uh. Guys." Kaoru said awkwardly,

"You two are making a scene." Hikaru added,

"We're gonna go public!" Emi said happily, dazzling the group with her perfect smile.

Haruhi was the first to understand and returned Emi's smile. Eventually the others caught on and we're happy for their friends.

After leaving the aquarium they all decided to eat out for dinner. Other than Haruhi grumbling something about "rich bastards" the group was happy and enjoyed a celebratory meal for the couple.

Emi couldn't believe that in a duration of one month she had found friendship and love, two things she shought she was destined to live without. She imagined she would grow up alone and independent but she had been proven wrong. Never had she been happier to be wrong.

After the meal, and an impromptu food fight hosted by the twins, the club went their separate ways. Emi gave Kyouya a hug before slipping away to Olivier. Internally she couldn't quell the butterflies that erupted each time they touched in the open.

She was excited for the upcoming week as Kyouya's girlfriend but she hoped it wouldn't lead to too much trouble.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long to put up. School has hit me like a truck and finding time between work, school, and my sport there is little time for writing. Please enjoy the chapter and thank you for your patience!

* * *

Emi walked into her first period classroom irritated.

After parking she had passed through school feeling eyes on her the entire time. She wasn't used to attention, she preferred being in the background, and this feeling was starting to irk her. It wasn't until she entered her hallway that someone spoke to her.

"You're Emi-San?" Someone said behind her,

Emi turned to the snide voice and was faced with a group of girls that stared at her with malice shining in their eyes.

"I am, may I help you?" Emi replied lightly, internally analyzing the situation.

"We heard you were with Mori-senpai alone in a back room of the aquarium. But you hang on Kyouya like he's a doll and take Haruhi home every day." One of the girls said,

"Plus I've seen you give the twins love notes at lunch!" Another possessive guest said,

Emi forced herself to stay calm, anger bubbling up inside her.

"I'm sorry ladies but it appears as if you have misunderstood a few things. Mori-senpai is just a close friend, Haruhi and I go to the market together, and the twins use my art as inspiration for their fashion line. I have never written a love letter in my life!"

The group of girls didn't look impressed and stood waiting for a better explanation.

Emi sighed lightly, "I am not a player in any way. I have only been with one guy in my whole life. If you want to learn more come to club tonight and I'll tell you."

She was given a few smug looks and heard whispering about how lonely she must be with 'one guy' before the cluster of gossips left and she was allowed to reach her classroom.

The rest of the day proved to be much of the same. A group of girls, the smallest being a group of four, would approach her with anger in their eyes and demand an explanation on the Mori-aquarium incident. She got so tired of retelling the coincidence that she stuck with saying "come to the host club tonight and I will explain everything".

The final bell rang and she walked with Tamaki, Kyouya, and the seniors to the third music room.

Emi was lost in her own world as she stumbled into the room and firmly planted herself on the closest seat she found. She burrowed her face in her hands and tried to prepare herself for the mob of girls who would be vying for answers once the doors opened.

Anxiety kept growing in her stomach and she knew if she didn't calm down she would clam up and not be able to tell the girls anything.

"Emi-chan?" Hani asked, breaking into her relaxation session.

She lifted her face high enough to expose her eyes and gave the hosts surrounding her a dark glare. Everyone jumped back, even Kyouya which made amused her in her nervous state.

"Her evil eye is worse than Kyouya's..." Someone whispered,

She took a deep breath and sat up straight in her chair, forcing the anxiety away.

"I'm sorry guys. I'm just worried because it feels like half of the school is coming today to hear what I have to say about what happened with Mori-senpai."

The hosts looked a little surprise by she couldn't help seeing Kyouya's tiny smile. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Yes Kyouya, that means big sales for you."

"You have done well, Emi." He replied happily, scribbling something on his notepad.

She stood and tipped his notepad so he was forced to look at her.

"This might be good for the club now but remember that if this goes over badly it could mean the loss of a lot of guests. Make sure you have your priorities in check" She said,

His smile didn't falter as he lowered the clipboard and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I know, but it won't go over badly, so don't worry."

~Dangit I want to kiss him. Keep it together Emi.~

Emi sighed and forced herself to withdraw.

"Then can you tell them? I don't know if I'll do a good job." She whispered, hating how weak she sounded.

Kyouya reached down and gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes, "I'll help but most of these girls came to talk to you. I'm your backup, call me if you need me."

Emi nodded, "Okay."

"Can we open club or not?" The twins said sarcastically,

The couple joined the rest of the hosts in front of the entrance and set up formation.

With a flurry of rose petals the doors opened, "Welcome!"

oOo

Kyouya glanced over to Emi's area. She didn't lie when she said half the school was coming. Two additional couches had been added to Emi's guest area to make room for all of the girls and some still had to draw chairs from tables.

From the snippets of conversation he caught she was explaining why she was not dating each host. He assumed she would leave him last and then break the news but with Emi he never knew for sure.

The room was tense and reasonably quiet. Other than the clinking of teacups and the occasional comment, Emi's voice was the only sound resonating through the music room. The few guests who weren't clustered around the hostess were sitting by their host of choice protectively.

Kyouya was alone, silently pleased he didn't have to deal with any clingy girls. He was able to sort through the profits from the surge of guests while simultaneously keep an eye on Emi.

She hated being the center of attention, he knew that for a fact. Even before today he had taken note of her affinity to secluded, quiet spaces. She avoided main hallways, refused to partake in gossiping, was polite to everyone equally, didn't pick favorites. Up until she met Kyouya she was the definition of a neutral person. Being the core of a hot topic was killing her.

Throughout her speech to the girls today she fidgeted, took shaky breaths, and looked at Kyouya often. Despite portraying these subtle signs of distress, when he met eyes with her he found strength and determination. She fidgeted but she sat up straight. Her breaths were shaky but her voice was confident. She was every bit terrified, but to anyone other than Kyouya she appeared to have complete control of the situation.

He continued to type away until he heard the room go silent. Quickly he scanned his memory on what she had just said. If he recalled correctly she had confirmed that she had only been with one boy in her entire life. And that she was with him today.

~Oh. here we go.~

Without a word Emi stood up. The guests surrounding her parted so she might escape the mass of bodies and she walked towards him.

He remained seated when she stood next to him and wrapped his arm around her waist to drive the idea in.

"I am dating Sugita Emi. I have been for a few weeks now. She has been a faithful girlfriend and a loving friend to me and the rest of the hosts. Failure to accept our relationship will lead to the immediate expulsion from the club." Kyouya said, loud and confident.

He felt her hand squeeze his shoulder and her slightly trembling form stiffened up as the words sunk in.

After a few seconds of complete silence the guests began to react. Some scowled, others fangirled, a lot of girls sat and stared at them with mouths open, still processing what just happened.

Eventually the couple were surrounded by girls asking questions. A few left in anger but most seemed open to the idea.

The remaining time of club was spent pleasing the guests with details on their relationship with the occasional affectionate gesture to offer some fanservice.

When the time came the girls left and the doors closed. Emi immediately collapsed into a chair next to Kyouya. He chuckled and pulled her closer to kiss her cheek.

"That was exhausting." She groaned,

"You did great."

"We have an entire week of this before the ball."

"You'll keep being great, I know it."

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile that made him want to kiss her again.

"We'll be leaving if you all need some alone time." The twins said as they practically waltzed out of the room followed by the seniors.

"W-wait." Emi said, jumping to her feet and dragging Haruhi into the back room. "I need to talk to you."

Kyouya looked up at Tamaki, "I think it went well."

"Why did auntie take daughter away?" Tamaki said, staring at the door of the back room with big eyes.

Kyouya rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Let's get out of here, they're probably going to be in there a while."

"Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy." Tamaki whined,

"Because they are girls, they do this stuff." He explained, closing the door. Prepared for the future and opening a new door in life.

oOo

The rest of the week was similar to club. Most people were accepting of their relationship but a handful opposed it completely. A group of girls formed and boycotted the club but they were easily brushed off due to the massive wave of new guests. Everyone wanted to talk with the first hosts to be in a relationship.

The ball was announced and Emi was surprised to learn that tickets sold out in a day. Kyouya had given her a smirk and she couldn't help kissing it away.

The week dragged along, worn down by entertaining students. Emi enjoyed not having to guard her actions, holding hand freely and sitting close to Kyouya had been amazing, but she couldn't help the feeling of dread that surrounded her. As Saturday approached the feeling only grew and she found herself wary of the party. By Friday Kyouya had caught wind of her discomfort.

"What's wrong?" He asked in their final period of the day,

She glanced at him, trying to sort out her thoughts. Ever since their relationship had been announced they had been coerced into sitting next to each other in all classes. Emi hadn't enjoyed all the attention and having Kyouya sit next to her meant Tamaki would sit next to them. The blonde had been a nightmare to control, fluctuating between excitement for his friends and disapproval 'for Haruhi's sake'.

She was ready to knock him out on a few occasions but either Kyouya or Haruhi cut him down before she lost it completely.

She took a breath and looked up at him,

"I'm worried about tomorrow. Something seems wrong."

She was still getting used to being honest with her feelings but she knew Kyouya would be more upset if she brushed him off.

"I think you're just nervous." He deduced, placing a hand on hers.

Her stomach churned, even something as simple as grabbing her hand still gave her butterflies.

"I know I'm nervous but it's something else. It feels malicious."

"There will be security at the party and all of the students who have acted out against us have been banned. You'll be safe, I promise."

~It's not me I'm worried about.~ She thought. The group of girls giving the couple problems all seem to be obsessed with Kyouya. She wouldn't be surprised if every single girl in their group had confessed to him in the last four days. They all have too much money and connections to accept their relationship with a reckless statement of love.

In addition Kyouya had turned down each girl the same way. He had calmly replied "I'm currently in a relationship and do not plan on straying from her." which had led to many tantrums and, much to Emi's confusion, increased the negativity aimed for her but not Kyouya.

She closed her eyes briefly and looked back at Kyouya.

"You're right, I'm just worried." She said with a sweet smile that seemed to relieve Kyouya.

~You are not right but it will go smoother if I keep that to myself. Sorry Kyouya, this will make it easier to watch out for you.~

oOo

Club was canceled that day to prepare for the ball. Kyouya had enjoyed the sweet moments of preparing for it with Emi. They did a majority of the planning during lunch earlier in the week in Emi's hiding spot in the library. He discovered her love for cuddling in the sun so somehow they always ended up under the dirty window with her head on his lap. I guess he learned how much he enjoyed cuddling too.

One of the days she had fallen asleep and he was able to observe her openly. There were bags under her eyes that she tried to hide with some type of makeup and her entire being relaxed when she was unconscious. He had never realized how tight her face was when she was awake, even with him. It's as if she was never relaxed, always attentive.

~No wonder she has bags, she must never sleep.~

He decided to tempt fate and peek under her long sleeves and found a map of bruises. Some were dark black and appeared fresh while others were yellowing. Mixed in were silver strips of scarred tissue. After a few seconds he dropped the fabric and pulled her closer, determined to keep her safe despite being more confused than ever.

He had allowed her to nap the entire period, even though she gave him a piece of her mind after, and catch up on some z's.

When she waved goodbye on Friday she smiled but he knew she was even more worried than before. He knew she lied to him about being nervous and played along to ease her mind. He wanted her to be happy and although he didn't enjoy being lied to he knew it was for his sake.

The ball decorating went well. With the combined force of Emi and the twins the ballroom had been transformed into an elegant dance hall that rivaled any royal event. Gold and crimson banners and curtains had been hung, tables were set up and covered with luxurious fabric. Fresh red and gold roses would be brought in on Saturday along with the gourmet catering. Everything was perfect for an Ouran ball and Emi, with sidekick Haruhi, managed to keep the overall cost of the ball well below the budget.

Everything was good. He just had to ensure his girlfriend made it through the event alive. He knew the girls at Ouran could be spiteful and territorial and he wanted to keep her well away from any of them. He doubted anything would actually happen but there was always the potential of her being surrounded by a group of girls and being attacked verbally. She might be one of the strongest people he knew physically (other than Hani-senpai) but she was weak in social standards.

Now, as a he stared up at his ceiling in bed, he cycled through his plan for the next day. His personal security would be over viewing the event and knew to keep an especially close eye on Emi. It felt weird to be so worried about someone but he couldn't get her off his mind. He knew he was probably being overly cautious but he wanted to keep her safe and by his side. They've been together for over two months now and despite the limited amount of time he was hooked on her. He didn't want to be apart from her no matter what. Her presence calmed him, strengthened him, made him feel alive. Tomorrow he would treat her like the princess she was and formally introduce her to his father. Yes, tomorrow would be a very big day.


	13. Chapter 13

Emi fidgeted outside Kyouya's door. It was four in the afternoon, three hours before the doors opened. After shutting down the twins plan of coming over to her house they convinced her to show up at Kyouya's house and get ready with the entire host club. The planned arrival was 430 but she wanted to be with Kyouya's before the mayhem of tonight.

Slowly she raised her hand to knock but before her knuckle made contact with the door it was pulled open.

"You've been standing here for over five minutes, am I really that scary?" Kyouya asked, smiling slightly.

She returned the smile and brushed past him towards his room.

"Spying on me are you?" She teased,

"Only taking advantage of the cameras stationed around the house." He replied smugly,

Emi rolled her eyes as she entered his bedroom. She had noticed the cameras the first time she set foot on the Ootori property, she just hadn't realized she was standing in front of the door so long is all.

~I'm such a mess.~ She thought,

Kyouya closed the door behind them and she flopped on his bed, completely at ease with her surroundings now. She could practically hear him snicker as he joined her on the bed and pulled her onto his lap.

"Why are you so flustered with this." He asked softly, rubbing his hands on her arms soothingly.

She melted into him and rested her head on his chest.

"I didn't want to trouble you."

"Well you have."

She gave him a playful slap on his shoulder which caused him to chuckle and pull her closer.

"I think something is going to happen to you." She confessed, snuggling further into his chest.

He stiffened slightly, probably confused, before using his fingertips to tip her head up and face him.

"I'm going to be fine and so will you. My personal guards will be there, nothing is going to happen."

She still wasn't convinced but she nodded and snuggled up against him again.

He sighed, "You're impossible."

He continued to rub a hand on her arm and brought another to run through her hair.

Emi wish she could've stayed there forever but of course the hosts had to make an entrance. After a few minutes they heard the door slam open and the noise of many voices shouting. Sadly she drew away from him and noticed with satisfaction that a trace of sadness flickered across his face as well before he hid it.

They both sat (at a reasonable distance from each other of course) and waiting for the stampede of people.

When the doors burst open Emi was pulled away within seconds and shoved into a nearby room with a twin.

"Ready for some fun?" He asked maliciously, opening bags full of makeup and sewing supplies.

Emi turned and saw Haruhi next to her, looking just as terrified as she felt.

"Uh, Kaoru?" Emi asked,

"What's happening exactly?" Haruhi finished,

"First of all now I understand how you guys feel when me and my brother speak," Kaoru started, "Second of all, Emi, how do you know I'm Kaoru and not Hikaoru?"

Emi looked at him for a second then at Haruhi who shrugged at her.

"You just are, I can't explain it."

Kaoru gave her a weird look and glanced at Haruhi before smiling and looking down.

"You girls are the weirdest people I've ever met." He said then pulled out two dresses, "Anyways, let's get started."

o0o

Kyouya sat with the other hosts, minus the twins, in a living room in his wing of the house. The two girls have been in locked in the room across the hall for an hour and a half.

~We need to leave in fifteen minutes.~ He thought, aggravated.

He and the other boys were fitted in matching tuxedos with different colored ties within thirty minutes and left to their own devices while the dynamic duo got the girls ready. Haruhi was being forced into wearing a dress and posing as her cousin mainly so the two redheads could dress her up, as usual.

A shriek snapped Kyouya back into attention. There had been plenty of shouting, screaming, and the sound of things breaking within the room but this was a happy shriek.

"Haru-chan and Emi-chan have been in there a long time." Hank said from his perch on the couch next to him.

"Hn." Mori grunted,

No sooner had Mori agreed did the doors to the forbidden room open and both twins emerge. They had bright smiles on their face and stood in a way that hid the two girls behind them.

"And now, the royal highnesses of tonight's ball," One twin started,

"Queen Emi-san and princess Haruhi!" The other finished and simultaneously stepped aside to reveal two elegantly dressed ladies.

Haruhi wore a magenta gown with crystals sewn into the long, ruffled skirt. The top was relatively plain and well fitted up to her chest where a bit of a boost was added to her breasts. Jewels outlined the trim and coated the sheer fabric that covered her shoulders and upper chest and wrapped around the back, acting as straps and additional coverage for the modest young lady.

Kyouya heard Tamaki begin babbling and launching himself at her but Mori held him back as Haruhi chewed him out.

In all honesty, he had only glanced at Haruhi because he couldn't take his eyes off of Emi.

She wore a mint colored gown that matched his tie and a smile that stopped his heart.

Her dress was long like Haruhi's but flowed instead of ruffled. Her bodice was tight and when she approached he noticed the back was laced up in an intricate corset. The sweetheart neckline accentuates her breasts in a way he found completely captivating, though he had trouble admitting it to himself. There were jewels along the trim and scattered all over the bodice. A few strips of crystal dripped down her skirt so when she moved it appeared as if she was wading through water.

"They gave me a strapless dress with a goddamn

Kyouya. How am I supposed to do anything in this?! What if I need to pee?" Emi said angrily, standing directly in front of him with her arms crossed.

Instead of answering he pulled her into a kiss that after a few seconds melted into a hug.

"You look beautiful." He whispered,

Emi stuttered and pulled out of the hug, her cheeks reddening under the makeup.

"It's the twins, they're the magicians."

"No," He responded, "They just accentuated what was already there."

He took a step back so he could get a better view and continued to be awed by her beauty. He also noticed that her arms and back were void of bruises and scars, as if they were erased from her body.

~The twins must be better at makeup than I thought...~

She looked up at him and through the mascara covered eyelashes, the tear drop diamond earrings, and the uncharacteristic blush, he still saw the strong woman he fell in love with.

"I tried to hurry them along but they kept adding stuff and making adjustments." She said,

Suddenly she leaned in and whispered so no one else could hear, "Do you have any idea how many layers they forced on me. If we dance you're gonna have to pull some weight."

He couldn't help laughing and he continued laughing until his sides hurt and he fought for breath. At some point Emi had joined in and after they beat down the laughter they held hands and giggled the whole way out to the car. Kyouya ignored the astonished stares his friends gave him and instead enjoyed this moment of bliss with his girlfriend.

o0o

The car ride was silent, it seemed everyone was still stunned by Kyouya's outburst. Emi was giddy with happiness, she had wormed out the real Kyouya and shown it off for others to see.

They pulled up to the school banquet hall and Emi leaned over and asked for the time.

~I need to know how much time I have to work with.~ She thought nonchalantly,

Kyouya flicked his left wrist and displayed his watch for both of them to see.

~Time to panic.~

Within seconds of the car stopping Emi had launched out of the car with Kyouya on her heels. She tucked the excess fabric of her dress in her arms and sprinted into the royalty themed hall to watch over the final preparations of the dance. From her spot by the refreshments she heard Kyouya directing roses and other details. After a few minutes of stress and instruction the pair met at the grand staircase and dragged themselves to the rest of the hosts.

"Do you usually work with fifteen minutes when finalizing preparations?" Emi gasped, already cursing her heels for jeopardizing her movements.

"Of course," Kyouya answered coolly, still as perfectly handsome as before, not a wrinkle in sight.

At the top of the stairs he looked over and they continued to the classroom they had set up as host headquarters.

"But usually I finish it in thirteen minutes instead of five."

Emi peeked up at him and saw a small smile on his lips. She giggled lightly and grabbed his hand and together they returned to the other members of the club.

"Doors should have just been opened, we need to prepare for the opening display." Kyouya said as he entered the classroom.

Instead of desks, Tamaki insisted on putting couches and a mini fridge of refreshments for the hosts. All the boys were lounging on the prepared furniture and Haruhi was grumbling about rich bastards and money or something.

~She is so sensitive to this stuff.~

"Oh Emi, you've ruined everything!" Hikaoru wailed, wilting on his brother.

"We have to try and fix her, dear brother!" Kaoru replied, fake crying on his shoulder.

Emi looked on at the scene confused and when she shot a questioning glance at Haruhi she was answered with a shrug.

"Uh... What's wrong?" She asked softly,

"She doesn't even know!" The two redheads yelled before jumping apart and grabbing Emi's arms.

"Time to fix," One started,

"You're mistakes!" The other finished,

Emi gulped and was dragged behind a curtain to a mirror and another mountain of makeup, she sent a pleading look at Kyouya but he too answered with a shrug and then curtains closed.

Ten minutes later her makeup was 'back to normal' ~Even though it was fine to begin with~ and she was standing next to Kyouya behind the two large brass doors above the grand staircase. Host introduction was scheduled in two minutes and she was preparing for the hordes.

"We forgot one final thing," Kaoru whispered from behind her,

"I swear if you try to fix my eyebrows one more ti-" She started but when she turned, she froze. In the hands of the twins were two elegant, yet simple, silver crowns. One was slightly bigger and more regal while the other, though equally gorgeous, was more delicate and shaped like a tiara. Embedded in each were light blue gems that matched the color of Emi's dress and Kyouya's tie. ~Naturally.~

"What are these?" Kyouya asked, looking at Emi,

"I don't know either," she replied, staring at the headpieces in awe.

"We didn't buy them if that's what you're thinking." Hikaoru said,

"One of the guests is the first in line for a well-known jewelry store and offered to make us custom crowns on the request that we auction them off next week and return 60% benefits to the jeweler." Kaoru said,

Kyouya looked slightly stunned but hid it before anyone else could catch on,

"If you had included Emi or I we probably could have bartered for a better deal." He said coldly,

~Awe, he really does believe in my abilities.~

"Why did you hide it from us?" Emi added, trying to sound welcoming so the twins wouldn't get scared off.

"We wanted it to be a surprise!" Hani added, appearing beside the twins,

"You too Hani-senpai?" Emi asked,

"All of us were," Haruhi added

Emi looked around and noticed everyone had crowns with different metals and styles. The only ones with similar qualities were hers and Kyouya's. She couldn't help smiling up at Kyouya and giving his hand a squeeze. She could practically feel him release his annoyance and accept the present given to him.

"Thank you for your efforts." He said, "With these we will surely be the princes and princesses that our guests have dreamed of. If we are done, let's go meet our impatient guests."

The ball started off with a bang. The guests adored the crowns and most people especially adored how Kyouya and Emi matched. Music from the live orchestra began and signaled the beginning of a long night of dancing. Each host took a guest to dance with, even Haruhi despite being disguised as her own cousin. After an hour of dancing with various partners Emi spotted Kyouya pulling away from a girl. The second year student was babbling away and frantically grabbing onto his jacket. Emi couldn't help the glare of anger that spiked through her as she stalked over to the pair.

"Excuse me," Emi said as she tapped on the girl's shoulder.

The girl glanced back and when they made eye contact she gasped and began talking even faster to Kyouya.

Emi paused to collect herself before firmly grabbing the girl's arm and turning her around. ~And off my boyfriend.~

"Kyouya has many guests, it's hardly fair to take him all to yourself." She forced herself to say sweetly,

"You just want him all for yourself, it's not fair!" She cried before stomping off to a group of girls that glared at Emi.

Emi slowly turned back to Kyouya and lifted an eyebrow.

"We've had a good run, let's go freshen up in the back real quick." She said,

Kyouya nodded and together they walked out. They remained an acceptable distance apart so as not to arouse curiosity. When the curtain separating the venue from the school closed Emi grabbed Kyouya's hand and began dragging him to the host headquarters. She could feel him attempt to avoid her train with little success but she didn't care. Rounding the corner she burst into the classroom and sent up a small prayer, thankful that no was in it.

"Are you okay? Did she do anything to you?" She said, running her hands along his chest, searching for any device the girl might have planted.

"I'm fine Emi." Kyouya said calmly and took her hands in his. "She was just a jealous girl that snuck in with her group of other jealous girls. She practically forced me to dance with her then tried to convince me to break up with you. I'm fine, I promise."

Emi stared into his stormy grey eyes for a five count before relaxing.

"Okay. If that's the case I'm going to stick close to you for the rest of the night. It annoys me when people treat you like an object." She said,

~No one else is going to touch unless they want to mess with me.~

Kyouya surprised her with a chuckle before pulling her into a hug.

"My knight in shining armor." He whispered in her ear.

"Shut up." Emi replied, giving him a playful punch on the chest and remaining in his arms.

~He's so gentle when he holds me...~ She thought blissfully.

"While we are in here I am going to take this thing off." Emi said, pointing at the silver tiara,

"What's wrong with it?" Kyouya asked, releasing her from his embrace.

"There's a pointy part that keeps digging into my head," She replied as she slowly removed the accessory, wary not to rustle her perfectly styled hair, ~The twins aren't going to 'fix me' again if I can help it.~

She removed it and ran her fingers along the edge to find what was annoying her. On the far edge was a sliver of silver jutting out randomly.

"Guess this jeweler isn't that great, huh." Emi said, setting the piece on the table of the temporary headquarters.

"Here," Kyouya said, holding out another tiara, "It's fake, but it's better than nothing."

"Where did you find it?" She asked, putting it in position,

"The twins always haul around a bag of random fashion supplies, I remembered seeing this in there." He replied matter-of-factly,

"It's not so heartfelt but the whole matchy-matchy thing was overdone anyways." She said, frankly,

"We should return before we arouse suspicion." Kyouya said, a smile on his face and a palm out, waiting for her.

Emi nodded and together they walked back to the ballroom, hand in hand.


	14. Chapter 14

Another hour passed and Emi did her job well. Both hosts still danced with guests but took breaks between each dance to regroup. The silver crowned duo were never farther than ten meters apart at any given time due to this tactic. Emi enjoyed the look of frustration a certain group of girls displayed and did not hold back from cuddling up to Kyouya slightly and eating food off his plate.

~Who knew it was so easy to piss people off!~

While the simple displays of affection annoyed the group of Kyouya fans, most guests were fangirling over the interactions. The biggest reactions always came after Kyouya did something sweet like put his arm around Emi's waist or rest his head on hers.

~This is the first dance I've been to that being the center of attention is a good thing.~ Emi thought happily, watching all of the other hosts 'court' the guests.

"I got you a drink Emi-senpai!" A voice next to Emi squealed and a glass was shoved in her hand.

"Thank you..." She turned and saw one of the girls from the hateful group disappear in the crowd.

She squinted questioningly and set the glass down in front of herself, mentally reminding herself not to drink it. Emi turned back to the conversation at hand.

One of the few males of the club was having a conversation with Kyouya about the finances of the club. Emi tuned in and added a couple comments.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kyouya pick up the glass. He took a swig and realization hit her. In slow motion she yelled at him to drop it but it was too late, the liquid had already passed into his stomach.

"What is the problem Emi?" Kyouya asked, obviously confused at her outburst.

"How do you feel." Emi asked slowly,

Kyouya looked down at her, then at the boy they had been talking to, then back to her. "Fine? I'm not allergic to the punch or anything."

"I'm going to go pour it out, don't move." She said and snatched up the drink.

She turned and poured the liquid into a nearby trash can then put the glass under a table so no one would you use it.

~Just in case.~

She turned around and noticed Kyouya was leaning heavily on the table in front of him.

~Oh shit.~

She quickly walked up to her boyfriend and grabbed his arm.

"Kyouya, how do you feel right now, be honest."

"A little tired but I'm fine." He answered and tried to brush away from her.

Emi immediately grabbed his arm again, "I just remembered I forgot something in the back. It's kind of heavy, will you come with me?"

~Don't kill the ego, take him back and get help.~

She turned to the guest they were talking too, "See that girl over there?" She asked and pointed to the small girl who handed her the glass. The boy nodded, "Can you bring her over to curtain by the stairwell? Tell her Kyouya needs her."

After he walked off she linked arms with Kyouya and dragged him across the room. A few people stared and whispered at them but she brushed it off and kept moving. Kyouya was leaning on her heavily now and she knew the drug was taking effect.

"Oh my god is Kyouya okay?" The girl in question asked. Emi whirled around and latched her hand around the girl's wrist.

"Thank you for getting her, enjoy the party!" Emi said over her shoulder at the young man standing there. She dragged the girl through the curtain and when it fell back in place Emi let her friendly demeanor drop.

"What the hell did you put in that drink." She growled,

"I didn't mean for it to- is he okay?!" The frail girl asked frantically, pushing through the tulle of her excessively fluffy, bright pink dress and reaching out to touch him.

Emi jerked away, wrapping her left arm around his waist protectively.

"You're going to tell me right now what was in that drink and then you'll talk to the police. Now unless you want something to happen to Kyouya you're going to tell me what was in that goddamn drink!"

The girl swallowed, tears rushing down her face. "I-I don't know. I just asked for something to get you out of the way and I was given this. It's your fault you took off the tiara in the first place! You can't tell anyone, my daddy will sue you!"

"Jesus, you got a date rape drug or something?! And what are talking about with the crown? It's not me you messed up. It's Kyouya so if you want to sue the Ootori's, that's your call. Whatever," She lifted her phone and stopped the recording on her phone. "Now that I think about it, you're the jeweler's daughter aren't you." Emi said, the pieces coming together, "The twins must have invited you because they didn't know you were such a bitch to me and Kyouya and then you did something to my crown to mess up tonight. Either way now I have your confession and the tiara can be investigated later. Get the fuck out of my sight."

She turned and began to pull Kyouya into the hallway out of view before he collapsed.

"Shit, shit, shit." She mumbled,

"Oh god, what's happening to him, this is all your fault!" The girl wailed and pounced on top of the disoriented Kyouya.

~Hell. No.~

Emi planted a hand on the girl's back and grabbed a handful of the priceless dress she wore. With one movement the student was flung down the hallway.

"Leave before something bad happens to you." She snarled, turning away and anticipating that the girl was finally scared away.

~Or injured. Either one will work.~

Emi kicked off her heels, grabbed Kyouya's arm, and hauled him onto her back. She carried him army style into the host headquarters and dumped him on the couch.

"Emi whattre yah doing?" Kyouya tried to say, slurring his words.

"Oh good Emi-senpai is in here!" A voice called in from the doorway,

"Emi-senpai time for a make-up update!" The other twin quipped as the entered the room side by side.

Emi was on them before the could blink.

"Hikaru, go get one of Kyouya's personal guards stat. Kaoru, I doubt she does but if the school nurse has ipecac I need it now. If you can't find any I need warm water and salt. Lots of it. Kyouya has been drugged. Keep this info quiet, don't tell the other hosts unless it's necessary. We have one more hour before closing so after you complete your assignment return to the ball immediately. You are dismissed." She fired off,

The twins looked like their head was reeling but after a few seconds they sprinted out the door. Emi had already returned to Kyouya and tried to comfort him. Numbness was setting in and Kyouya could no longer move.

She sat there for what felt like ages rubbing his hand and talking to him, trying to keep him conscious.

Surprisingly the first person to return to the room was Hani. He whisked in the room and was at Emi's side before she registered the door was open.

~I guess I did underestimate his legacy...~

She grabbed the bottle of ipecac from his hands and poured the correct dosage. With the medicine in one hand she pried open Kyouya's mouth with the other then romantically force fed the fluid down his throat. He tried to spit it out but she clamped his mouth closed and pinched his nose until he stopped struggling.

"Get me a waste basket, Hani-senpai." She ordered, not taking her eyes off Kyouya for a second.

He returned seconds later with trash can in hand.

"What's wrong with him? Kaoru came to me in a panic saying Kyouya was poisoned and needed this medicine. What does it do?" He asked, all trace of the sweet lollishota gone.

"A guest tried to drug me and Kyouya drank it instead. This is going to hopefully relieve him of some of it in his system."

"How's it going to do tha-"

Before Hani could finish Kyouya began vomiting heavily into Emi's waiting trash can.

"Like that."

The two guests sat with Kyouya as he emptied his stomach until a fleet of Ootori security showed up. Emi left trashcan duties to one of the subordinates and explained the event in detail to the commander.

"Although I've never seen a drug act exactly like this I can assume what kind it is." Emi replied, "I believe it was a date rape drug like ketamine or something along those lines. We got him the medication less than ten minutes after he began showing signs so I'm hoping he didn't absorb much."

"We contacted the Ootori personal doctor once we were informed and he claimed your method is the only thing we can do for him. Because you caught it so quickly he should be okay by morning." The burly man said,

Emi gave him information on the culprit and thanked him then turned to Hani.

"We should get back to the guests, I'm sure the twins have already caused a stir." She said, softly grabbing his hand and pulling him away from Kyouya.

"What if he wakes up all alone!" Hani cried, pulling on her wrist slightly.

Emi paused and turned back to him,

"He has his team here, Hani-senpai." She said softly, "There's only a few minutes left of the ball, we need to smooth things out so there isn't chaos on Monday."

He looked at her, glanced back at Kyouya's limp form, then back at Emi. After a moment he nodded and allowed Emi to pull him out of the room.

They were a few feet from the curtain separating the school from the dance when the inevitable happened.

Emi's phone rang.

She pulled it out of the well disguised pocket of her dress and lifted it in front of her face. It continued to ring in her hand as she watched it but couldn't find it in herself to answer.

"You okay Emi-chan?" Hani asked, waiting next to her,

She nodded, her eyes never moving from the phone. She felt her heart racing and her breath hitch.

~Please, not now.~

Finally she pressed the glowing green button and held the device to her ear.

"Go."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Kyouya woke up with a rock on his head. He tried to open his eyes but quickly shut them. The light stung and he felt his eyes water.

~Okay, think back. What happened?~

Slowly memories of the ball trickled into his mind. Emi, dancing with her, talking with guests, her protectiveness.

~She was really cute, the twins did a good job with that dress. Wait, back on topic. There was a drink and afterwards she got really worried. I started having trouble moving then... I can't remember.~

He used his sense of touch to determine where he was. Somewhere soft, with silk sheets, probably home. He also felt a dip in the mattress to his left, hinting there was a person at the side of the bed.

~Probably Emi, she was so worried.~

Slowly he re-opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. As he thought he was in his room. There were flowers on his nightstand and balloons in the corner with ridiculous sayings like 'get well soon!' and 'we miss you!'.

~Probably that idiot Tamaki.~

He glanced down at the sleeping form beside him and was surprised to find not Emi but Tamaki himself.

He squinted at the male form in curiousity.

~If he's here, where's Emi?

A light knock on the door roused Tamaki and he stood and walked over to answer it, completely oblivious of the fact that Kyouya was sitting up and awake. Tamaki opened the door a crack,

~That must be Emi.~

"No he isn't awake yet," Tamaki said,

"Come in, I'm awake." Kyouya said from his spot in bed, shifting so he was propped up.

"Kyouya!" Tamaki yelled and ran to the bed but didn't touch him.

~Strange. Not called mommy

no tackling hug?~

"How are you feeling?" A female voice asked from the doorway,

Instead of lustrous blond hair greeting him, Kyouya saw a mop of brown.

"I'm fine Haruhi. How did the rest of the ball go?"

"Surprisingly well without you and Emi. Most people thought you two snuck off to be alone so there wasn't too much panic." She replied and gave him a soft smile that rubbed him the wrong way.

~Everyone is acting weird...~

"Are you okay now, Kyo-chan?" Hani asked from Mori's shoulder. The gentle giant had slipped into the room so subtly that Kyouya just now saw them. The wins stood in the doorway looking in with a bizarre look on their faces.

"Yes I'm fine. Where is Emi?" Kyouya asked, feeling the little tendrils of frustration start grabbing onto him.

The room grew silent.

"You are all acting strange. Tell me, where is Emi?" He said again, raising his voice slightly.

Again the room quieted. All the hosts were glancing at each other and silently hoping someone else would speak.

"She's gone."


	15. Chapter 15

"Explain." Kyouya ordered, looking at Haruhi.

"She got called away on a business trip. It was last minute and urgent, we won't be able to reach her until she gets back." She said slowly,

"When does she get back." He asked,

Haruhi looked at him for a moment, appearing to consider how to phrase her response.

"In three months." Kaoru said abruptly,

"Three months?!" Kyouya said, "What business trip takes three months and prevents contacting your friends?"

"She was very upset about it." Hani said quietly, "When she got the call it was if she turned into another person. She acted... cold."

Kyouya nodded, he had seen that cold response before. She had grown distant and lost her warm glow when she was told off by that group of snobby girls when the Mori-Emi gossip was circulating. It was like she lost all compassion leaving only an empty shell.

"How is she expected to finish her studies?" Kyouya mumbled, scrambling to find some excuse that would expose this lie.

"She didn't say." Hani, said sadly, "But she left you this on my car." He added, holding out a letter.

"We just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. We'll see you tomorrow" Haruhi said, smiling softly down at him.

Everyone trickled out quietly, the only sound was the shuffling of feet across the premium carpet floor. ~It must be serious if everyone leaves so easily...~

Kyouya slid down and returned to a laying position. He held the envelope above him, analyzing the cursive writing on the envelope. The handwriting was definitely Emi's, he had seen it so often it was engraved in his mind.

His lamp was the only source of light in the room and the soft yellow glow cast an eerie shadow on the parchment in his hands.

~I can't explain it, but I don't want to open it.~ he thought, ~This is ridiculous, I shouldn't be afraid of a stupid letter!~

Determined, he ripped open the tab and pulled out the paper inside. Again he paused.

~What would she have to tell me that the others couldn't know about. What is she so worried about sharing?~

Kyouya's mind was going a million miles a minute, thinking out probabilities and situations, all the while looking at the folded sheet of paper held above his head.

After a few minutes of speculation he ended up staring blankly at the letter. ~It's just a letter.~ he thought, repeating it to himself over and over again. He beat the mantra into his skull, mulling it over as if eventually it would mean something else.

After an unknown measure of time he slowly moved his hand and pressed the folded paper flat. Inside was a short message in Emi's cursive handwriting:

Dear Kyouya,

I apologize for last night, my actions were inexcusable. I understand if you don't want to see me again but if you want to talk leave your bedroom window open at 19:00.

Emi

Kyouya's eyes widened and looked at his watch, already noting how dark it was outside.

The LED numbers 651 on his bedside clock stared back at him and he sighed with relief.

Slowly he extracting himself from his bed. Only when he was on his feet did he remember how weak he was. The journey to the window was a difficult one and lasted much longer than he expected.

~Why is my room so damn big.~ He thought angrily as he dragged himself along the wall. He glanced down when he reached it and saw seven minutes had passed.

~Emi is punctual. I need to hurry.~

He clawed at the lock and pried the window from its seams. He heard some cracking and the window slowly began to open.

~I really never open these, do I.~ he thought, cursing his frail state and the sticky window.

Another short glance to his wrist told him he had a minute to open the window and it was only half way up.

Kyouya inhaled deeply and put more effort into pushing and suddenly it slid all the way up to the latch and locked open.

"Emi." He whispered,

Emi hung outside his window, one hand still on the ledge. Lithe as a cat she entered the room and stood before Kyouya. She was dressed in an all black body suit that appeared thick yet flexible.

"Hey." She breathed, holding her arms tight to her chest and looking straight into his eyes.

He could've melted under their glare, her bright green eyes piercing his very soul. They were determined but he found they were filled with something he hadn't seen in a weeks- regret.

"Why did you blame yourself in the letter?" Kyouya asked slowly,

Emi broke eye contact and looked at the ground, "I knew there was something wrong with that drink. I let my guard down and you got hurt, I can't apologize enough for that."

"Emi," Kyouya said, reaching out and grabbing her shoulders, "My team said you acted immediately and prevented severe consequences from that drug. You knew what to do with hesitation and that saved me from a lot of the effects. You have nothing to apologize for." He finished his speech by wrapping her in his arms. He felt her rigid body go lax and melt into him.

"I have to leave, Kyouya."

"I know." He whispered back, "But why can't you contact us? What about school?"

Emi pulled back slightly but stayed within his reach.

"My parents are extremely strict on outside communication when I'm on business trips. All calls are monitored and controlled. I'll finish my exams over the summer and don't worry, I'll pass up Tamaki." She smiled up at him and he couldn't help accepting her words.

He placed his fingertips on her jaw and tipped her head back so he could plant a kiss on her lips. She responded passionately and they lost themselves to the feeling of each other, if only for a few minutes. Kyouya closed his eyes and relished the young woman in front of him, accepting that this would be the last time he saw her for months.

Emi let go first, "I have to go now. I love you Kyouya."

Kyouya slowly opened his eyes but didn't find Emi in front of him. The room was empty and the open window was his only companion. He walked to the window and peered out over the yard.

"I love you too, Emi."

o0o

Kyouya sat in his bed for a while staring blankly at an open book. Eventually a maid called on him for dinner which he denied and returned to staring.

A second maid came to his room and provided a summon from his father. Alert, Kyouya stood and quickly prepared himself for the visit. Within a matter of minutes he was out of pajamas and into his classic button up and tie with his hair combed and face clean.

He couldn't help his heart rate increase as he walked the long hallway. It wasn't often that he saw his father and being summoned was an even rarer occurrence. If he were to conclude the reason behind this visit it was highly likely to be another comparison of worth between him and his brothers.

Kyouya arrived at the large wood door of his father's office and rapped on the surface to request entry.

"Come in." A low voice from within said.

Kyouya entered the room with grace and seated himself in front of his father's desk. Ootori-San sat regal and sophisticated in his leather chair behind the mahogany desk.

"Hello father."

Ootori Yoshi merely nodded in reply before grasping the paper he had previously been observing, stood up, and opened a nearby filing cabinet to deposit the document.

"Usually I am aware of a romantic relationship blossoming with one of my sons." He said gruffly,

Kyouya froze in his seat, ~Where is this going…~

"But it was not until I was tipped off by a maid that a young woman has been spending time here that such a relationship had occurred without my knowledge."

Yoshio returned to the desk and took his seat.

"I was then told by the chauffeur that a message was left for you by her last night after your incident. You are now going to explain to me why your are affiliated with this girl and why you don't believe she is a danger to you."

~There is no escaping it now I guess.~

Kyouya took a deep breathe in, then out, and began the tale of their relationship. He began explaining her missing file and his mission to complete his collection of information. With slight modifications to avoid complete embarrassment he gave a detailed overview of the last few months. In all honesty he wanted to hear his father's opinion on the subject so other than the moments of intimacy, no memory was left unspoken. After over an hour reminiscence, Kyouya concluded his story. The one thing he did choose to omit was Emi's surprise visit. He wasn't exactly sure how to confront that himself and didn't think his dad would handle it well.

Ootori-San had been silent throughout Kyouya's speech and sat in his chair studying his son.

"You are in relations with a girl despite knowing nothing about her family, her history, or her future? Have I truly raised an imbecile?" He said coldly,

"Father, I know from her habits and personality that she was raised highborn and taught proper etiquette. Her family, history, and future can not be so barren if she has such good characteristics." Kyouya responded, trying to thaw his father,

"And what of the bruises and late night meetings? What proper lady has those kind of characteristics? She is no good and I forbid you to be with her."

Something in Kyouya's mind snapped slightly and anger oozed into him. Before he could regain control of his tongue a comment slipped out.

"It doesn't matter anyways, she's gone."

"She's gone?" His father asked, a note of surprise entering his voice.

"Yes. She has left for a business trip with her parents for the next three months. They prohibit any form of communication until she returns so your wish will be followed. Is there anything else you need from me today?" He responded, subconsciously mimicking the same cold tone his father had used moments before.

Yoshio leaned back in his chair and studied his son .

"She has left during the school year for this business trip?"

"Yes."

"How does she expect to pass junior year?"

"She said she would complete her exams during the trip."

"How?"

"She didn't say."

"When did she tell you this?"

"It was in the letter."

"Are you able to contact her?"

"No, her communications have cut off since last night."

"And she gave no warning of this trip."

"Father she is very shy when it comes to details of her family. Convincing her to open up to me was difficult as is and I still know nothing about her family as we have already covered. I assume she would have told me of this departure earlier but I can't be sure."

"Do you love her?"

Kyouya paused. His mind went into overdrive and tried to make a logical connection on why his objective father would ask such a subjective question.

"I don't see how that is relevant." He answered slowly,

"If my son has developed feelings, and earned feelings in return, for a woman at the top of her class, who has enough intellectuality to evade his most elaborate research plans, and forgoes summer break for business, there is little I can do to prevent his relationship."

Kyouya stared blankly at his father.

"I will permit your dating but I am taking over investigation on her family. You may date but no son of mine will wed a woman without knowing her history. Court her if you choose but nothing will come out of it until we know more on her. It appears I have three months before she returns to learn about this Sugita Emi and I expect you to continue your digging. Now return to your room, tomorrow is a school day. I expect you to score high again on the upcoming exams, just as your brothers have."

And with that Ootori Kyouya had regained the father he was used to.

Kyouya stood and bowed his head respectively,

"Thank you, father."

Ootori-san nodded slightly in reply then returned to paperwork.

Kyouya walked out of the office and closed the door properly. Once he was sure no one would see him, a large smile blossomed on his face. He walked to his wing of the house with a bit of spring in his step.

~I really must be losing it!~ He thought happily as he entered his bedroom and made his way towards the open window.

"We have a chance, Emi. We can be something more than I could ever hope for and you don't even know it yet!" A laugh erupted from his lips and he let it roll out and fill the air around him.

"I love you Sugita Emi, wherever you are. "

Above him stars shone down and even though he knew the next few months would be hard, the outcome would be worth it.


End file.
